Secrets of the Starnik
by The FalconWolf
Summary: The Starnik have a secret, one that was never written down. Our heroes can live their lives in peace. Life is perfect and the Ditori are gone. Or so they thought. When a young human girl turns up on their doorstep, they find she's not just any ordinary girl and it all relates to Scott. Add the horror already facing them, the Ditori strays are picking themselves up and regrouping.
1. Chapter 1

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 1: The Battle, Not the War

So, what can we say about the Starnik? Hang, on, let me rephrase that, what can we not tell you about the Starnik? They are legends, role models, a one of a kind family! But every family has their secrets, right? And the Starnik had one BIG secret that was not mentioned in the prophecy or even written down in their stories. Throughout history, this one, little secret of theirs was not documented or even shared, only a select few knew of it, but were swore to never mention it. So what was this dirty, little secret of theirs, or should I say…who?

Let's wind back a little bit; I'm getting too far ahead of myself. Firstly, ever wolf knows the pup bedtime story that is the Original Starnik that lived three thousand years. They were given extraordinary abilities to fulfil a prophecy to gods gave to then, to unite Wolf Kind and Humanity, their two species. A she-wolf was given the ability to heal the sick and injured in the war they were in, plus to gift of manipulating the air around here to do her bidding. The male Human, the power to control anything and anyone with the power of his mind, extreme accuracy and wolf like reflexes. All of course with the ability to communicate with wolves, after all, it would make things a lot harder if he couldn't. They failed in their task, to put it bluntly, so they separated to never see each other again and the war between the ancient Dire Wolves and Humans wage on. If your know your history, then you should know that the humans won, and Dire Wolves were wiped from existence.

But the Starnik's power was transferable, able to be passed onto their successors when the time came. That moment came in the far future, three thousand years later to be a little more precise. This is the side all Humans know of the prophecy because it happened in their midst and then before their very eyes. Another Male human and a young she-pup took part in a ritual, completely by accident and they gain the power of the Starnik and therefore the burden of the prophecy. After many tough trials, meeting their enemies, finding friends both new and old, falling in love, starting their family and gaining knew gifts, they have started on the completion of their prophecy. Humanity came to know of them and their power, as did wolf kind and soon the two species started to mingle, no longer fearing one another and living lives along one another. The language of Wolf speak was teachable to humans and soon one entire continent was understanding the language and that continent was soon the world's first safe zone for wolves.

Wolf hunting was banned, wolves were freed from zoos to live how they wished, wolves were starting to be employed in jobs, even a wolf was made as wolf ambassador or the U.S.A, a kind of Wolf president if that makes more sense. He was there to dish out fair punishments for wolves, separate laws for them and to keep the peace between the humans. They were treated as equals, like citizens after the Starnik came.

They weren't just a lesson to Humanity that things can change wit just wolves, but with others like them. Supernatural, beings with both small and extraordinary gifts once they could control them. These beings had been in hiding for all time, in a way, they were the next step of evolution in the human's world. Not only that, Wolves possessed these gifts as well. Studies and surveys went out about these supernaturals, around seven percent of the world's humans were supernaturals and the same went for Wolf kind. But their numbers were much small, so therefore their wasn't as many and not many came out into the open. But they were out there. The Starnik were a lesson to them also, a lesson that they no longer had to hide in worry that they were different; there was other like them out there. Soon they were out and using their gifts in public, a life of magic and wonder. After seven years, seven years ago it started, and now in just that period of time the U.S.A was a transformed country. But that was another thing, what happened to the Starnik?

Some say something major happened. Sure, they all knew they died but their youngest daughter was able to resurrect them, but something else happened. They were alive, they've been seen since, but from that point on they've been living a more quiet life. To be honest, the Starnik were no longer needed in the world, Humans and Wolves had this covered now. Others were teaching the language of Wolf Speak to others around the country and even the world; it was the easiest language to learn. The Starnik were still around, but they don't make themselves known as much as they used to, nobody knows why, but they don't make themselves known anymore. What had happened to the great Starnik?

Well, their close friends and family knew exactly what. Scott and Rosie, the genuine Starnik, after the fall of their enemies, the Ditori, they travelled back to their first home in the forests of North West America, in a large den. Their first daughter, Lupa and her mate Faolan had a den of their own in…well, that's a thing, they didn't actually know where they were. It was a built into a mound in a hill, opposite a large lake with long grass to the left, a sandy beach stretching around the lake and the mountains beyond that. Everyone knows she was pregnant from her Dire Wolf mate, and she did birth them, three of them, two boys and a girl.

It wasn't natural, but soon her mother became more out of her depth. Dakota, her first and only son and his mate Chance wanted to live away with her pack back in Idaho. She let them go. Then finally, there was Myka, Scott's only daughter and half sister to Lupa and Dakota, wit her mate Jack, they travelled back to Idaho where they made a den of their own and settled down. Their family was spread out, it just wasn't right. Wolves stay in a pack, not separate out. But then again, packs hardly exist now these days. Still it happened, and the family frequently got together. Going along the family lines, Lupa's family were healthy and just perfect in every way, and it was no secret that both the couple Dakota and Chance, and Myka and Jack were trying to start a family, but to no success. Not yet anyway.

The family was spread out, but they saw each other frequently and life was perfect. For once, they were safe, their enemies were gone and now nothing could ruin the life they had. "SCOTT!" Rosie bellowed, snapping him out of his trance. He shook his head and slunk a little lower beneath the wall he and his mate were crouched behind to avoid the gun fire directed out at them. "What happened to you, you black out on me for a second there?" She asked slightly amused.

"Sorry, I was just thinking how perfect out life is right now." He chuckled before springing up and firing an arrow with his trusty bow into the chest of one of five targets remaining. Ok, so life wasn't completely safe right now. Scott and Rosie still led the dangerous life, but it was a life they loved and would leave alone until it was gone. These were the last of the Ditori, the scraps left behind after their downfall if you will. The strays that needed rounding up and put down. They needed to be gone from this earth, eradicated, their family and wolf kind weren't safe until they were gone and gone forever.

"I think we're a little out of our depth here baby." Rosie said as she peeked over the wall. They were in an old ruin located in the forests of Florida, they chased them here. "Think we should call for help?"

"Pick, child one, two or three?" He asked and sitting back against the wall casually, the bullets pinging off the top and ricocheting elsewhere.

"Go for one, this is pretty big." He nodded and closed his eyes, reaching out his mind for the one he wanted. He whispered his words into that mind, the best he could really, this mind was very far away. Both Rosie and Scott had been working on expanding the distance of their "mental, telepathic phone calls". Now they could reach any mind they wanted, as long as it was just to talk that is, they could read that mind from this distance, just talk. He opened his eyes, a worried look on his face. "What, is she coming?"

"Yep, and she doesn't sound happy." Suddenly, there was a loud fizzing kind of sound, like static, followed by screams, several loud and quieter bangs and thuds along with some crashes of what sounded like the ruins toppling over and then it all went silent. They turned around and looked back over the small wall. Thin trails of smoke came off parts of the ruins, small pillars that once stood tall now over and crushing their enemies. More trails of smoke came off the five bodies that now lay against the walls of where they just were, and in-between them all that one mind they wanted stood facing the two, an angered looked on her face.

"Mom, Scott, what's going on here?" Lupa demanded.

"Lupa, honey, sweetheart." Rosie sheepishly grinned.

"Don't give me the sweet talk mom." She snapped. "Are you hunting again?" Scott leaned against the wall, neither coming up over it in case she threw something at them. Since the Earth Angel came into her life she's acquired new abilities, and some weren't nice and they'd rather not find out what they were if they hurt. So they stayed put just in case. Rosie and Scott both just simply nervously laughed, giving her the answer she first thought. But now another question came to her mind. How did they get all the way over here, to the other side of the country?

"How did you even get here?" She then asked, Rosie eyes darting over towards another pillar subconsciously hoping she would see what she could. She sighed and rolled her eyes again. "Dakota, get out here." She growled. He stepped out, nervously laughing and his tail tucked under slightly.

"Well hey sis, long time no speak." He laughed feebly "So how's the…"

"I can't believe you two?" She snapped towards her parents. "You two are acting like a couple of kids doing this."

"Oh Lupa relax, we had everything under control." Scott added as he stepped up and walked around her towards the bodies.

"So you called me here, yeah, I can see you had everything under control." She growled. "Can't you understand I have a family now? I can't keep helping you do stupid things like this. What is this, some mid-life crisis you're going through or something?"

"Honey, we just want the same thing you want for your own family, for them to be safe. If the Ditori are still out here then we can't let them regroup."

"How did you even know they were here?" She asked.

"Scott went back to that old fort a while back." Dakota answered. "He found a list of names and addresses to where they could be." She looked over to Scott who was knelt down beside on of the bodies, looking at some sort of dog tag and cross off the name from the small book of names before moving onto the next corpse.

"You're going to get yourself killed, you know that? You can't bring back the dead anymore mom remember."

"Maybe not, but I'd like to see them try. I still have my immortality remember." She giggled.

"We are learning from all this though." Scott said as he finished with the last corpse and walked towards them, slotting the book into a pocket inside his jacket. "They seem to be gathering, we keep finding more of them together each time."

"You're over exaggerating." She sighed and shaking her head while walking away. "I can't wait for Myka to hear about this." Ok, now they were in trouble. She faded away as she walked, her way of teleporting, no lights and no sounded. Unlike Dakota who couldn't use his for stealth with the green lights and booming sound he makes.

"Come on, I've got to get home before Chance realises I'm gone." He focused on two different places, first his own home and his mother and step-father's home. And with a flash of his eyes and a flash of light, they were in their own places.

Lupa faded back into reality, still shaking her head and mumbling to herself. She looked ahead of her, a wonderful sight. Faolan laying on his back, forcibly of course due to having his sons and daughter jumping all over him and biting his ears and pulling. They were nearing three moons old now, she couldn't let anything happen to them and Scott and her mother were jeopardising that. She had a vision of this moment, literally, she refused to let it play out any other way, it had to play out exactly how she saw it. She'd use everything in her arsenal of powers to make sure it would happen. But for now, everything was ok and it made her smile. "Hey guy's, I'm back!" She laughed at the sight.

"Mommy!" They yelled happily.

"Please, save me!" Faolan pleaded half jokingly and half serious.

"Go on guys, go and play in the water or something. I need to talk to daddy." Bounding away, laughing and giggling, they ran and crashed into the shallow water.

"Thanks, man Sarah hurt my ears."

"Aww, do I need to kiss it better?" Lupa cooed.

"Maybe, give it a try." He leaned down so she could reach and she started kissing it, giggling gently as she did. "Yeah, yep that's defiantly working." He chuckled and he sat back up, kissing her as he did. "So what did they want you for this time?" He groaned to herself again and rolled her eyes.

"Don't ask." She groaned. "Basically, I caught them hunting again."

"Man, as they get older they get younger." He chuckled.

"They're going to get themselves killed one day, all for a stupid list." She answered, once again making her angered.

"A list?" He asked and tilting his head.

"Scott found a list back at the fort; he and mom have been going after the people on it if they're still alive. He has this crazy theory that they're gathering and trying to get somewhere. Crazy or what?"

"Crazy, the Ditori are gone and there's no chance they're coming back." He assured. "Nothing is going to happen to them, I'll use my own powers again to keep them safe."

"I know, it's just…everything's perfect right now and I don't want anything to change it. What if they're right?" He pulled her to him, resting his chin above her head.

"They're not." He cooed. "The Ditori are gone, we have our family and pretty soon I'm sure that Myka and Chance with have theirs too. We'll be one enormous family; we can look out for each other."

Meanwhile, a man and woman walked arm in arm down the high street of Kalispell, friends of the Starnik family. Tony and Skye, now more then just friends. They were in love and have been for a couple of weeks now. After the fall of the Ditori, Tony moved into Skye's home since his was burnt to the ground. When it came to him finally moving back out, she didn't want him to. So now that they were living a happy life with no fears and worries, they were a normal, happy couple, just with connections with the Starnik who they still saw frequently.

Also at the same time, a young fifteen year old girl walked down the same high street towards them. A large, heavy rucksack on her back, tatty blue jeans, a red and black chequered shirt on underneath her dark brown coat, all topped off with black sunglasses. She was excited; all this was so new to her. She didn't really know where she was or where she was going, but it was still quite the adventure anyway. She had only been in the country for a few hours, a search starting underway as soon as she stepped out of the plane. A photograph in her hand, she looked to it and each person she passed in search of the man in it. She was told this man was here, that he was said to live here or at least have been here before. She was getting close, she could feel it.

"So I was kinda thinking…" Skye started as she and Tony continued to walk. "How about we go out for dinner tonight, a nice romantic dinner in town."

"Sounds perfect, I can't wait." Tony chuckled. Suddenly, that girl bumped into his shoulder, and quite hard.

"Sorry." She said in her English accent, something they hadn't heard in a while.

"No worries." Tony smiled as they walked on. The girl stopped for a moment, looking down at the photograph. She wasn't going to find this man just by walking and looking, a new tactic was required. She ran back to Tony and Skye.

"Excuse me?!" She called out, making them stop and looked back to her. "Hi, I'm kind of new to the area and I was hoping you could help me."

"Yeah of course, what do you need?" Skye nodded with a friendly smile.

"Well, I'm looking for someone. Have you seen this man before?" She asked and holding that picture up before them. They narrowed their eyes, how did she get this picture?

"Yeah, we know him, but not her." Tony nodded. The girl couldn't believe her luck, they knew him! "Where did you get this?" He asked and tapping the photo.

"It was my mothers." She answered. "Can you tell me where he is, I really need to find him."

"It depends; he doesn't live around here anymore." Skye answered, making the young girl doubtful now she'd find him. "But it won't be too hard to get him here." She quickly added, raising her spirits. "Come to our home, we can get him for you." She said and starting to walk again.

"So kid, why do you want him?" Tony asked as they moved on.

"He's my dad." She answered, freezing them quickly again and making them go wide eyed. They looked down at her in disbelief.

"He's you what?" Skye asked.

"The man, he's my father." They looked to one another, how was this possible?

"It can't be, he's…"

"I know, gone, we have to get him here." Skye added. "You, come with us." She ordered and grabbing the girls arm and pretty much dragging her along with her. This couldn't be right, it wasn't possible!

**Ta da! I'm back. God it's so great to be back here and carrying on my Starnik Series. They're like my babies and I've got to help help them grow and eventually finish their lives. I have two more series planned, this is isn't going to be short, but it won't be long either. Hopefully longer then fifteen chapters, but we'll have to wait and see. It's great to have you guys back and I can't wait to hear what you think. Until next time!**

**The FalconWolf**


	2. Chapter 2: The Daughter of the Starnik

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 2: The Daughter of the Starnik

The den was quite, Rosie has discovered, annoyingly quiet. All her life, the den and the temple they all once lived in was always full of chatter, laughs and the occasional cry. But now, it was silent, all that could be heard was the breeze blowing by the trees, that was all. She sat overlooking the valley of her home, thinking. It just wasn't right she came to conclude, unnatural. Wolves stay and make packs, they don't leave, it goes against every part of their instincts. But in this rapidly changing world, packs hardly existed anymore; wolves lived on their own, with their families or friends in both human settlements and dens in forests. Wolves lived in packs to be safe, but now that humans were no longer threats packs aren't necessary, so why stay together? The younger generations would only understand it and adapt around to it quicker then the elders who knew nothing but pack life. Despite the fact Rosie had never been a part of a pack; it was in her primal instincts to be in one or to at least have one. The younger once grew around the fact they were no longer needed. Chance's pack was an acceptation, she did still have a pack on the other side of the mountain from the temple, they lived there but freely walked in and out to see humans and their settlements. It was like their street; they lived there but did as they wished.

Still, it was quiet now, horribly quiet. Scott, who was sat back against the mouth of the den in his human form, heard her sigh and her ears and head droop slightly. He dropped the book he was reading and started to crawl towards her, and by the time he reached her he was sitting beside her as her wolf and mate. He nuzzled her neck. "What's wrong honey?" He asked. "You've been a little down lately."

"It's nothing." She sighed again. He pulled away and looked her in the eye, and she sensed him watching and knew it was no point in lying. "It's just…it's too quiet around here. It just doesn't feel natural for the kids to move away and live elsewhere. We're supposed to have a pack Scott, not just have the two of us."

"Are you trying to say you want kids again?" He asked half joking and half serious.

"No, it's not that. It's just since the fort, everything has gone quiet. We've never had a quiet life before. It's always been about fighting and trying to survive."

"It's a life we've always wanted." Scott understood. "You're just not believing it. We always wanted a family to have in safe place. The Ditori are finished, we're safe and so are the kids. You'll see soon enough." He smiled and licking the corner of her mouth.

"I hope so." She smiled slightly. Her smile turned a little more devious and her tail wagged at a thought. "And what you said about having pups again?" She grinned, he quickly understood. "The answer's no." She quickly added, making his smile diminish again. "But I'd love to feel like we might, if you get what I mean." She winked and walking towards the den, her tail and hips swishing behind her seductively. He followed after her, his gaze transfixed on her swaying hips the entire way. But just as she entered the den, it was all interrupted by a surprise. There was a flash of white mixed with a dark green and a loud static shock like sound that snapped to the right and suddenly Tony appeared, his clothes falling as if he was hit by an air cannon. Scott couldn't believe his eyes.

"Tony?" He asked.

"Hey Scott, how's it been?" He asked.

"Did you just…"

"Teleport?" He finished. "Yeah, I did." Rosie stepped out, unable to believe what just happened herself.

"But how, you're not a supernatural?" She asked bewildered.

"Because if your daughter." He chuckled and presenting them with a small stone. "She put some kind of spell on it, I've got to think of where I want to go and hit it against something and it takes me there. Pretty cool really." He answered and placing it back into his pocket.

"Myka made that?" He chuckled in wonder and awe. "How come we never got one?"

"It was hard to make, she wanted me to have it so I could see her when I wanted and she didn't have to bring me." He chuckled.

"So what brings you here Tony? You kinda interrupted something." Rosie asked, antsy to continue with what she and Scott were about to start.

"I'm sorry, but this isn't a social call." He nodded and getting back on track. "Scott I need you to come with me, back to Kalispell."

"Me? Why?"

"There's this… It's hard to explain, will you just come please?" He pleaded and getting the rock ready. He didn't understand what was going on, but something in his tone of voice and eyes looked worried and desperate. So he nodded.

"Yeah, sure. Just give me two secs and I'll be there." Tony nodded and as he mentally pictured his and Skye's home he hit the stone against a tree beside him and he vanished into that white and green light with a static bang. It was weird, but also unfair.

"It sounds serious." Rosie said after a moment and after the leaves Tony spewed into the air fell. "Do you want me to call Dakota?" He nodded.

"Please." She reached out her mind for her son, finding him and asking him to come. This was useful, now they could call on their children and anyone they really needed to talk to in a second. Think of the mind and speak really. Scott turned and changed clothes; his current ones were dirty and old and needed changing really. He hadn't changed his clothes in weeks, but that's because he rarely changes to a human anymore and when he does it was for no more then a few hours, so there was no real point in changing. The den still looked inhabited by a human, the old drawings, the animal skins, the bed and the trunk; it all came in use for occasions like this and on full moons.

By the time he was change and stepping outside, he was putting on his coat and Dakota was sat waiting to go. "Just head to Tony and Skye's home, it sounded serious."

"It can't be anything bad mom, I'm sure it's nothing." He insisted.

"I agree, probably nothing." Scott added as he stood with them.

"Just be careful and call me if you need anything. I was going to invite Myka and Jack over for dinner tonight by the way."

"Sounds good, it's about time too." He chuckled and kissing he forehead. "Let's go son." Dakota nodded and quickly they were consumed in that same, formidable green light and shrouded with that booming sound. They landed hard, strangely as if they had jumped off something, but this happened every now and then. They appeared in a living room, Tony standing around looking out a window and Skye sat on a sofa, but both aware of them as soon as they landed. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"What's up?" Skye asked as she quickly jumped to her feet. "That's what's up." She pointed out to her left, through an archway into the kitchen where a girl stood.

"Aww, that so cool." She gasped.

"Tony, take Aria and Dakota into the kitchen, this is going to be private." He nodded and led the way, offering his friend a drink as they walked through and starting conversation through the three of them.

"Aria, you adopted a kid?" He chuckled. "Man you guys move fast."

"We adopted your kid." She snapped. He wasn't sure how to react, she could be serious.

"Yeah, funny, my kid's in Idaho and unless she can change like me that's not her." He saw the complete seriousness in her eyes, they were furious even. He looked to the girl wearing sunglasses and talking to Dakota and Tony. "Are trying to say that kid is mine?" She scoffed and reached down to the couch behind her and held before him a picture and pushed it right into his face.

"Is this you?" She demanded. He narrowed his eyes and stepped back to see it clearer. "Because it looks an awful lot like you." He nodded. But he doesn't remember standing for this photo or the person who took it. He looked younger.

"Where did you find this?" He asked.

"She had it." Skye answered. "She's looking for her father Scott; she thinks you're her father." He looked out to her, it didn't make sense, how could she be? He had one daughter, Myka, that was all. This girl couldn't be. "Recognise this girl?" She moved her finger out of the way of part of the picture; all of it now clear to him. He had his arm around this long, brown haired girl, in the background there seemed to be some sort of party going on, a nightclub perhaps. Distant and long forgotten memories came flooding back to him. He shook his head.

"She was an ex-girlfriend of mine, Jasmine. We were together while I was in England. Just some girl I knew."

"And that girl is now her mother." Skye snapped again and pointing back to the girl in her kitchen just as she laughed with Tony and Dakota. "Scott you're her father." He shook his head again, it can't be.

"Ok, so it happened once right before I left, but she would've told me. Plus we were safe, it can't have happened."

"There are always risks Scott." She answered a little calmer. "That little girl…She's your daughter."

"But she'd gotta be like fourteen, it happened only a few years ago."

"Not unless she had a power of some kind." Skye said with a shake of her head. "Myka got your power; maybe she has one as well."

Dakota looked out for a moment to Scott and Skye looking like they were arguing quietly, too quiet for his ears to pick up. "So you're a supernatural huh?" The girl then asked. He turned back to her.

"Yep, all my family are." He nodded.

"Then who's he?" She asked and pointing out to Scott. These were the kinds of questions he found heard to answer. Answering by saying "step-father" was just plain weird, so his normal answer was…

"He's a friend of the family, we hang out a lot."

"It's funny, he looks a little my father." But then that spark inside her clicked. She looked up to Tony who didn't look comfortable at all and tried not to make eye contact with her. Then to the man in the living room, they said they'd bring him here quickly, that man, could it be? She quickly tried to find the photo, it wasn't in her pockets. Where was it? Wait, Skye had it. She pushed the table away from her, nearly causing Dakota to fall off the chair he was on, before she ran out and towards Skye, yanking the photograph out of her hand and having another closer look at it. The man in it, her father, and this man, they looked incredibly alike. She looked up into his eyes, the same eyes as in the photo. "I found you." She muttered as she looked up at him. "Oh my god, dad I found you!" She shouted, her English accent playing to be a strange one. She opened her arms and crashed into his waist to arms her arms around him. Scott didn't know what to do, he had his arms out to the sides, looking down and around to the others. It can't be real. He reached his mind out to his step-son a he felt his telepathic nudge. _"Is it true?"_ Dakota asked and serious and confused look spread across his face.

"_I don't know."_ He responded and shaking his head. _"But don't mention this to your mother. Promise me."_

"_Like I would, this I all on you."_ He scoffed back. He tapped the girl on the shoulder, his arms still not sure what to do now. She looked up to him, the happiest grin on her face as she looked up to him.

"How about… we, err…how about we go someplace else?" He suggested awkwardly. "We need to talk." She quickly nodded

Fifteen minutes later, they were at a local park. Scott sat on one swing while Aria sat on another, both in complete silence as they have been since they left the house. Dakota stayed behind, trying to find some sense in this with Tony and Skye, the two needed to get to their own understandings. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and she just watched him. Was this really her father; was this man really her dad?

"Your mother." He said, feeling the courage to get the answers finally come to him and looking across to her. "What's her name?"

"Jasmine." She answered. "Born in England like me."

"Sorry, how old are you?" He had to be certain of this.

"Fifteen." He knew it, she wasn't his daughter. Things can go back to how they could be. "But really I'm eight years old." She added giggling. He turned to her and little more.

"How, are you some supernatural?"

"I was hoping you'd answer that dad." She answered. He held out his hand and shook his head.

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves; I need to understand a few things first." She nodded in understanding. She was old enough to understand this was something hard to take in, her mother warned her of this. "What did your mother say about me? I mean…your father." He added quickly.

"She said that you were an honest guy." She answered and starting to swing back and forth. "She said your name is Scott, you were very mysterious and would be able to answer why I grew up so quickly. I was born in 2011, and she knew something was wrong by how fast I was growing. She hoped you'd be able to answer the reason why."

"You might have some sort of power, that could be the reason right."

"It's pretty cool; I always wondered what it would be like to have superpowers and stuff." She laughed as she swing higher. She swung higher and higher and Scott only dug his hole deeper and deeper. Things were really started to add up. This wouldn't be the first supernatural daughter he's had, so it was a possibility. Suddenly, her glasses fell on the floor beside him, the black shades she hadn't taken off all day. She quickly reacted and used her feet the stop herself, but she wasn't quick enough. Scott picked them up and handed them back to her, only to shock himself more then anything. She looked into his blue eyes and he looked back into hers, her green, swirling eyes. He couldn't fathom his thoughts, he couldn't think straight. He remained knelt on the floor and she sat still on the swing staring at him while he stared back with his jaw dropped agape. The one thing needed to prove that this was his daughter was right in front of him. The only shred of evidence to support the fact and now it was showing itself to him. "She also said you might be able to explain why my eyes keep changing." She added.

"Ho…how long has this been happening?" He asked in disbelief."

"A few months." She answered. "She said it must have something to do with you because it wasn't her. She's not special." Scott couldn't move, thank god there wasn't anyone lese around to see them because this was down right strange. Not to mention everyone in the country knew about him, and most defiantly the world. "Are you the Starnik?" She asked. So it seems he too knew about them. Nobody else in the world had the eyes that did that with this colour, it was a Starnik only gene. She saw he still had the glasses in his hand; she always had them on in case this happened when she didn't want them to. She took them out of his hand and put them back over her eyes, but he then stopped her and pulled them down and away.

"You don't need these." He said and putting them in her hand. "You're not alone anymore."

"So you're…my dad?" His eyes changed to the same matching ones of her own and he smiled.

"Yeah, I guess so." He laughed delicately with her soon after.

"Dad!" She said happily and lunging at him with open arms, this time he returned the gesture and wrapped his own arms around her, a slight sigh and watery eyes of happiness. He had a daughter, and believe it or not, but another daughter. Another daughter of the Starnik! Hang on, the Starnik. What would Rosie make of this? She deserves to know, she needed to know about this. She would either accept this or it was going to tear everything they had apart. What about the kids? Lupa and Dakota were going to have a step-sister and Myka a half sister. What would they think to this? This could either be a good thing for the family or something that separated them more then they already were.

**Hey guys, i'm back already with another chapter. I know, quick or what? I guess i'm just excited to do this, i really want to get it done and done good. So, Aria, a third daughter of the Starnik, what would the family make of this? Could it be something that makes them stronger or something that drives them further apart then they already are? Review a****nd read on to find out. By the way, this story has been up for only a few hours and already there are reviews, i'm surprised. Until next time!**

**The FalconWolf**


	3. Chapter 3 The Big Reveal

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 3: The Big Reveal

This was both terrific and horrific news. Scott had another daughter, and if that wasn't enough, a human daughter of the Starnik! This was great, Scott couldn't believe it. Sure he knew Rosie wasn't his first time, but still, he thought he and Aria's mother were playing it safe. Had he known about this, he wouldn't have been in such a rush to go. Let's take this back a little bit, make it more understandable. During the time Scott and Rosie were separated and he was in England, he met and started a relationship with a couple of nice girls. His last girlfriend, before he fled England, was a girl named Jasmine. A rich girl with rich parents and background. They hit off pretty quickly, moving from one stage to the other only after a few months. On all serious, at the time this wasn't something they planned, they thought they were being safe. Evidently not. They split up a few days later, feeling that their relationship was thinning. It was also a few days before Sarah came for Scott and he left the country, a week later Jasmine discovered her pregnancy. Aria, a strange name and one not used very often in the UK, but it was a name she had buried in her mind ever since she was a child for some strange reason. She was a single mother to raise a child on her own, a child she soon found to be special. She found was aging faster then any normal girl and she grew increasingly concerned. So Jasmine turned to her parents, obviously they didn't know either. In a matter of seven years, she looked like a fourteen year old girl. She was a supernatural of some sorts, she had to be, it was the only reasonably explanation.

There was no supernatural blood in the family, so where could this have come from? Scott, that's how. Soon Aria started asking about her father, who he was, why he left and did he have some kind of supernatural ability. Her mother told her everything she knew of Scott, that he was American and constantly talked about a place over there called Kalispell, a place he used to live and wanted to again. It was when her eyes started to change against her will, into that of the well known Starnik, and the news reports showing Scott as the Starnik Jasmine's answers were given. Aria was a supernatural and the best person to give her the answers was her father.

Aria was always an independent girl, always doings things for herself, and she found it an adventure to go and find him on her own. As reluctant as Jasmine was, she let her; this was something she had to do on her own. Maybe she'd get the answers she wanted. Flights, hotels and reservations to and in Kalispell were made for her and with enough money to last her a week, off she was to find her father. And here he was, the human Starnik, the most powerful one, and she was his daughter. The only thing she had of him really was his blue eyes. She had the brown hair and pale complexion from her mother.

That little talk in the park was full of many topics, both interesting and awkward. She was smart for a fifteen year old girl, and snappy, an awful lot like Myka. Scott could just tell by looking at her and by hearing everything she told him about her life that she was a supernatural and had a power of some sort, it could just be faster aging, there had to be a reason for that. He told him everything about himself, his life, his family, that she had a half-sister and step-brother and sister, an entire new family for her waiting at home. But this was the horrific part of this news, what would Rosie make of this. Dakota was still with Tony and Skye only he knew about this, but not if it was true. Rosie was going to be the biggest test, how would she react to this? There was one way of getting all this across to everyone easily and simply. Rosie's dinner tonight, there would have to be a few changes, it was going to have to be an entire family dinner. Get the family together and talking. He wasn't sure how would take this the worst, Rosie, because he had a daughter before Myka. Or Myka, how would she react to having a human half-sister.

A plan was made; Aria would come to dinner tonight to meet the family and hopefully, if things went well, she's stay with them. She was his daughter; he couldn't make her stay else where when she had a family here. From the park, they walked back to Tony and Skye's, confirming everything and asking if she could stay for a little while to prepare the family. They agreed, they'd being her to the den with Tony's gift from Myka for supper. Dakota was the first to meet his new step-sister, but there wasn't time to hang around. He never got a chance to say anything until they were off back home.

They landed, and Scott changed quickly and looked to his son. "Thanks." He sighed. "Wish me luck."

"Ha, you're going to need it stud." He laughed just before he vanished. Scott exhaled loudly again and shook his head. "Well, here goes nothing." He then started taking steps towards the den. "Rosie, are you here?"

"In the den!" She called back out. That was probably going the last time she'd hear her voice that calm again.

"Rosie, I need to…" He didn't finish, he could at the sight before him. Rosie, stretched out on the bed towards the back of the den on her side. Candles lit the slightly dark den, how she lit them was a wonder to him. To top it off, a strange but familiar scent that drew him closer to her filled the air.

"It's about time you got home." She grinned devilishly and waving for him to come closer with her tail seductively. He was about to when the important matter at paw came back. He shook his head, clearing his sinuses of the intoxicating scent coming from her. It wasn't heat, it was her natural scent that he ever so loved and entranced him.

"Rosie, we need to talk." He was able to complete and walking towards her. Suddenly, she yipped at him, her power of a shockwave flipping him over and onto his back. "Rosie, I'm ser…" She quickly pounced on him and covered his mouth with her paw.

"Shh, tell me afterwards." She kissed him deeply and he hated to ruin it by pushing her away.

"Rosie, something serious has come up and I don't know if you'll like it." Ok, now she saw the seriousness in his eyes.

"Did something happen at Skye's?" He nodded.

"Can you let me up?" She stepped to the side of him. "It's best you sit down."

"Scott, I don't think I like this." She responded as she walked back towards the back and sitting on it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, it's just…There's something I need to tell you and I don't know if you'll be happy about it." He answered as he sat back up and shuffled in closer to her. He didn't know how to feel about this moment, confident or scared. He couldn't find the words, he looked her in the eye for several minutes to try and think of the words, he just could. There was only one way to do this. _"Just say it!"_

"Listen, I love you more then anything. I love you, Myka, Dakota and Lupa with all my heart and I don't want to lose you?"

"Where's this going?" She asked sceptically and narrowing her eyes to try and figure it out.

"I have a daughter, Rosie." He answered. She only giggled and shook her head to laugh.

"I know silly, I was there when she was made and born."

"Not Myka." He added quickly and making her look up to him. "I have another daughter." Her smile turned upside down, she saw the honesty in his eyes. There was no hint of a lie, this was the truth!

"You're serious." She said. He nodded, this was it, he had to act quickly before she did and took this the wrong way.

"Before I found you and we were apart, back in England there was this girl. We got close and we…you know." She nodded, she knew. _"How could he?"_ "I didn't know about this, if I did I wouldn't have told you. I left to find you, Shadow and the kids before she had the chance to tell me. It was over between us before I came back so I never knew about her until today." He looked scared, she saw it in his eyes and his body as it trembled slightly. "So, ahh…what do you think?" He asked, this was it, the moment he had waited for, her answer.

"Scott, I…" She looked to a spot on the floor, stuck in deep thought, her mind racing back and forth with this thought. "This is…" She couldn't get her own words straight, but all in all, everything she was feeling summed up one major feeling and point. "This is amazing!" He looked up to her, surprised. Her tail wagged happily, her glint in her eye with the same things and a huge smile spread across her face. "Scott you have another daughter, this is incredible!" major

"You're…ok with it?" He asked, hoping she wasn't bottling it all up and was about to lunge at him.

"Of course I'm ok with it, Scott you have another daughter, this is just great." She wrapped her paws around him laughing lightly and he couldn't help but do the same. _"Ok, two down, two to go."_ "As long as it's over between you that is." Her voice suddenly turned serious and she pulled back.

"Really? Are you seriously asking that?" She didn't move or answer, the seriousness was proved by her gaze. "Of course it is, there are only four people in this world I love, and that's you, Myka, Dakota, Lupa and Aria."

"Aria, that's her name?" She asked, a relieved smile on her.

"It is. I'm so relieved you're ok with all this."

"Of course I am, but I can't say the same about the kids." She added.

"That was my other worry." He sighed. "Myka's got a human half-sister; I don't know how she'll take that."

"She won't have a choice, none of them do. This girl is a part of the family now honey, and we look out for our family. It's going to be so nice to have a little girl running around again. We missed out with Myka after all." She added as she walked around him and outside."

"Err, yeah, about that…"

Lupa faded back into reality, back in front of her den with a perplexed look on her face. She had just come back from meeting with her parents and siblings and heard this news. Another daughter, another sister. The same look was on Myka's face, this couldn't be happening!

Later on that day, a small fire was going, a caribou leg one side of it and Scott and Rosie another. Myka was here and waiting for this to start. She was taking this hard, not that she was showing it, she refused to. A sister, a human sister, this was weird and awkward for her. Her father, a father to a human and wolf. She was once again the younger sister, the only thing these two apparently had in common was a snappy personality and their father's blue eyes. She sat in the den entrance, Jack knew this was a family thing and thought it might be best if he sat this out, despite the fact he was invited. This was a family matter.

A few minutes later Dakota appeared in light in the entrance of the den, seeing Myka beside him who didn't react to him. "So, you heard huh?"

"I can't believe this." She muttered. "I have a sister, a human sister." She looked up to him. "It's not fair, why did this have to happen?"

"Scott can't control if she was born or not." He replied while sitting down beside her.

"But he can control whether he gets a girl pregnant or not." This only made him chuckled.

"Come on, she's nice, you'll like her." Just then, Lupa faded into the area with Faolan grazing her side with Kodak and Sarah on his back and Shane in Lupa's paws.

"Sorry we're late guys. These little tykes were hard to round up." She excused. "Is she here yet?"

"Not yet, she's late too, don't worry." Rosie answered. "Well hello dears." She added and lowering her front half down to greet her grand-pups.

"Hi grandma!" Kodak waved from in-between his father's ears and standing on his head. "Look, I'm taller then all of you!"

"No way, I'm taller then you!" Sarah retaliated behind him and trying find a higher point then him.

"Ok you two, that's enough." Faolan then dropped his front half to the floor and let them slide off, even if they didn't want to. "Now I'm taller then all of you." He chuckled.

"That's not fair dad." Sahara whined.

"Tough, now go on, go and play." Lupa giggled and quickly all three darted off to the left and started tumbling over one another. She then looked to Scott. "You are just full of surprises aren't you?"

"Apparently so." He shrugged. "Thanks for coming."

"Are you kidding, I can't wait to meet my new sister." She added while hugging her mother.

"I'm glad you're ok with it." He sighed and looking back to Myka who was still talking to Dakota, a seemingly slightly more happy look on her face.

"I guess she isn't." Faolan added.

"She'll come around, don't worry about it." Rosie responded.

"I hope so; I don't want to lose either of them." Then another flash and loud static snap cracked behind them. In a mixture of white and dark green, Tony appeared with Aria under his arm. She looked to all of them, what was this, the zoo?

"I thought you said you were taking me to my dad's?" She asked and looking up to him. Scott quickly saw why. She coughed and stood up on his hind legs, changing quickly and stepping towards her.

"Sorry, I'm right here." She smiled more and hugged him and she did back. _"She has her glasses on, it's dark and she has sunglasses on, how ridiculous." _Myka saw and thought while shaking her head.

"Ok, I guess I'll leave you guys to it." Tony said. "See you guys."

"Thanks Tony." Scott nodded and with that he hit the rock against a tree and vanished again. "So how are you, good?" He asked down to her. She lifted up her glasses a little, her swirling green eyes proving she was.

"A little." She nodded. He smiled again and took them off her and put them in her rucksack.

"What did I tell you? You don't need these anymore."

"Sorry, force of habit." She sheepishly laughed.

"Come on, meet the gang." He smiled again and turned to everyone. "Guys, this is Aria, Aria, this is you family." Rosie was the first to step towards her, a friendly smile on her face.

"Hey dear, it's very good to finally meet you."

"So you're my new step-mum right?" She asked, a slightly weirded out look on her face. Rosie only giggled.

"I guess so."

"This is Rosie, my wife." He then pointed back to Lupa. "That's Lupa, you're step-sister." Lupa then came jogging over and leapt up onto her chest.

"It's so good to meet you." He smiled. "I always wanted another sister." Aria didn't answer, she just smiled. Her eyes still glowed green, but everyone saw they were starting to settle.

"Over there, there's Dakota who you've already met." He nodded to her. "And there's also Myka, you're half-sister."

"Myka, come say hello." Rosie said both sternly and cheerfully. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Be nice." Her brother whispered as she walked towards them all. "So, you're my sister huh?" She asked.

"My names Aria, this is so cool."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Myka answered. "So just to get this clear, same dad just different mom, right?"

"Yeah, at least that's what he told me." She looked up to him and he smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"So there's no chance that this is all just a…ouch…" She seethed as Rosie stepped on her tail, all on purpose of course. She shot are a punishing glare, a glare that also told her to be nice. "Never mind, it's nice to meet you too."

"I think we're going to get along." Aria smiled. They all stood in silence, wondering if anyone was going to say anything or if anyone had anything to add. Something had to be done now or never.

"Come on guy's let's eat." Rosie said breaking the silence, and that's when her eyes set on the carcass laid out across the other side of the fire.

"Oh man, that's just grim." She gasped. "You guys really are wolves."

"Well what else are we going to be?" Scott chuckled. "Don't worry, we got you something else." He walked into the den and walked back out with a pizza, still warm and tasty.

"Really? Pizza?" She asked.

"It was all I can think of. I'm not used to having a human daughter, a wolf one is much easier to cope with."

"Hey!" Myka exclaimed. "I'm still here you know." She added as she laid one side of the leg.

"I know honey, I'm just saying." He chuckled again. "Don't worry, we'll share this tonight. Throw your bag inside." She did just that, but the stuff inside was just incredible to her. The lights, small candles, the bed, the drawings. He lived out here? This was how the great Starnik lived? So not in some massive mansion like many rumour going around her school suggested. Believe it or not, there were great, fictional stories of the Starnik going around the UK, these wolves were globally famous, and she was their daughter! She smiled to herself as she dropped the bag onto the bed and walked back out to the even more grim sight of the five wolves eating away at the raw meat, three small puppies beside the large male gnawing away at a few tiny pieces of meat.

"Aww, they're so adorable." She cooed while sitting beside her father. Lupa looked to her and then down to her pups.

"Thank you, don't you just want to eat them up." She replied.

"Totally, god they're so cute!"

"Just remember." Scott added in a near whisper so the others didn't hear. "We're not dogs, so don't treat them like it."

"So Aria, what's life in England like?" Dakota asked interestedly as she chewed on a gristly part. She took her own bite of her own food and answered.

"It's pretty boring, nothing amazing happens." She then swallowed. "I mean, other then meeting up with friends, nothing fun ever happens where I'm from."

"You're friends; do they know that you age quickly?" Scott asked. He didn't want to know if her childhood was a waste or a rubbish one. But he felt he should know to try and make up for it now.

"They know, mum was hoping you'd be able to answer why." She nodded.

"Maybe, we'll get on that first thing tomorrow." He responded. "I promise."

"Are their wolves where you come from?" Lupa asked next.

"Not really." She shook her head. "I mean, there used to be in zoos, but since people started doing wolf speak classes over there and the wolves were released from the zoos, nobody sees them anymore. It's like they disappeared."

"You're having wolf speak classes there already?" Myka asked, seeing as this was touching on her personal favourite subject.

"Yeah, that's how I understand you guys now."

"Me, yes. Them no, they have a power that let's you guys understand you." She said and pointing to the rest of her family.

"Is your mother here somewhere too?" Rosie asked after a moment. Instantly she answered.

"She's back home, I came alone."

"And you came all this way on your own?" Scott said, pretty much to himself. "That's impressive.

"What brought you here in the first place?" Myka then asked. She wanted to know the reason to why this girl is now trying to steal her father.

"It's crazy, you won't believe me if I told you." She insisted and shaking her head.

"Oh come on, what's crazier about having a canine family?" Scott asked nice and loud and pointing them all out. She shrugged, he had a good point. She dropped to slice she had back into the box and wiped off her hands to speak without being distracted or rude with her mouth full.

"Ok, so while I'm sleeping a little over two weeks ago, I have this dream. There's a wolf in it, the same wolf I've had dreams with her in it before." Scott and Rosie both shared a look, could she be talking about what they thought she was. "She's like a ghost, before this one dream she would just be random sitting there in my dream and do nothing no matter what was happening." Her eyes then set on Lupa again, this moment bringing back what this she-wolf looked like to her. "But then again she looks like you." She pointed to her. Instantly, the family of five looked around at one another, one person coming to mind in a flash.

"Sarah." Scott grumbled.

"Mom." Rosie muttered.

"Grandma." Lupa and Dakota sighed.

"Grams." Myka giggled lightly. But they all said it at the same time. Aria looked to them all.

"What you know her? I thought she was just a dream."

"Yeah, we wish." Scott scoffed. "Carry on sweetheart."

"So anyway, this one dream I have she actually starts talking to me, saying how I needed to find my father to get the answers I wanted to more. She said she's been trying to find me for a long time and now it was time I got here."

"Any reason why?" Rosie asked.

"No idea, just to get answers I guess." She shrugged.

"Well don't worry." Scott said and wrapping an arm around her. "There's plenty of time and I'm sure you'll get your answers." He then looked to his mate, a whole new level of seriousness spread across his face as he locked gazes with her. _"How are we going to help? I didn't even know she existed until this morning?"_ He asked.

"_We can only answer what we can, there's no…"_

"Ah, not again." Aria suddenly seethed and clasping her ears and bringing her knees up to her chest. Everyone looked to her, even the pups. What was wrong with her?

"What's wrong?" Scott asked as he tried his best to comfort her.

"Voices, in my head. It's happening again." She whined. Rosie sparked a thought, could it be she had a gift passed on in genes like Myka?

"_There are no voices."_ Rosie said and brushing her mind only across Scott's. _"You're safe."_ The theory was that only Scott should hear her voice, and he did because he reacted to it. But as I said, it was just a theory, and she also reacted to it as well.

"Yes there are voices, I can hear you!" She seethed again. "Can't you guys hear them?"

"Scott, she's…"

"Telepathic." He finished. "Aria those aren't voices in your head." He added and pulling her hands down. _"They were out voices."_ He said again with his mind. She wanted to clasp her head again, but this time he stopped her. _"You can hear my thoughts; you can hear Rosie's thoughts, you can hear every thought in this place._ It's an amazing gift, there's no need to be afraid."

"I can hear thoughts?" She asked and pointing to herself.

"She can hear thoughts?" Myka repeated. "That's so unfair."

"You could if you wanted." Dakota responded. She was about to snap back to him, but saw she actually could if she so wanted.

"I have powers?" Aria muttered.

"I told you, you would."

"Lupa, do you think you can do anything to help?" Rosie asked.

"Maybe, I could always try." She suggested. "Faolan why don't you take the kids into the den, they could use a nap."

"Certainly, come on guys, bedtime." He rounded up his children and scurried them into the den while Lupa walked around to her step-sister.

"Can I use your paw?"

"Why, what are you going to do?" Aria asked, was she going to hurt her. So of course she was reluctant at first.

"I just want to take a look at something, you want answers, I'll be able to get them for you." She held out her paw, waiting for her to make a choice. Scott urged her, both for her sake and his. So she did and Lupa flipped it over and looked at her palm, running a paw over it as if looking for something. Dakota and Myka gathered either side of her, as did Rosie eventually.

"Have you done this before?" Her mother asked.

"Grams has been teaching me, I'm not entirely sure yet but I think I'm getting it." Aria gulped, was that good news? Lupa's eyes started to light up and swirl around her pupil, gradually getting brighter and brighter until they were at the brightest they could be. She stared into her palm, looking into the crevasses of her soul and D.N.A, into the tiny gaps that was her life. "She's telepathic already." She said after a moment and seeing that part of her as clear as day. "I see…I see water, the same water I've only seen in Scott and Myka." She could see like a rippling surface along her hand, an invisible force waiting to be used. A strong, mental power ready to be unleashed. Both father and daughter looked at one another, could she also be telekinetic like them? Maybe she and Aria wouldn't be so unalike now. "But there's something else, something powerful." She quickly added afterwards. She wiped her paw over her palm again, another detail coming over her. Whispers of distant voices echoed to her, answers to the riddle in her palms. She picked out the words they whispered to her and spoke them out for the others to hear.

"Phoenix." She muttered. "She's a phoenix. The power of self regeneration, living multiple lives, and control over fire; a highly rare power."

Ok, a little background information here. A Phoenix, the name given to a supernatural with the listed gifts: Self regeneration, the ability to self heal at a rate unseen. The mythical creature known as a phoenix, the bird covered in flames, is said to live a short life, capable of healing its body both during its life and after it ends. The second gift, living multiple lives. When the Phoenix's life is over, its body returns to its mature state and will resurrect again into a healthy body. So basically when it dies, whether from a death of old age or not, it will be resurrected back into a youthful body. The last, is exactly as it sounds, control over fire. Fire will bow down to this supernatural; it will do its bidding. A fancy way of saying it is pyrokinesis, the ability to control the element.

But Aria was special, with all this under her belt; she had a gift of telepathy and possibly telekinesis. Another daughter with the same gift. As Lupa's eyes settled, they all looked at this human girl. She could very well be more powerful then Myka, and she was thought to be the most powerful supernatural to walk the globe now and ever before. But now they had doubts. Before them was a girl who could move anything, set anything ablaze, live again and again and discover anyone's biggest secret. She was just as big of a weapon as Myka, and she didn't like it. Myka scowled at this girl, she was starting to dislike her more. First she comes into existence, then steals her father away from her, then starts coming up with these powers and soon she will only have taken all her father's attention away from her. This wasn't fair; Scott was her father, not Aria's. She's known him longer and needed him more. If she wanted him, then she was going to have to fight for him. She was a little girl; Myka was a grown she-wolf. She was stronger, she as faster and had mastered her powers, this girl knew nothing. What was she compared to the might of the true daughter of the Starnik?


	4. Chapter 4 Sibling Rivalry

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 4: Sibling Rivalry

Myka couldn't sleep, not while she knew some girl who came flying in out of nowhere with her strange powers and same blue eyes and telekinetic power was sleeping beside her father. She retuned home that night angered, Jack could sense it. It was safe to say that their other "plans" for the night weren't going to happen. They were still trying for pups, but with Myka being as she was she wasn't happy or up to it. She wanted to level another tree; she wanted to break something in two, preferably that girl. That same night, Scott vowed to Aria that he'd help her understand her powers and learn to use them safely so she wouldn't hurt anyone when she accessed them. Lupa and Dakota seemed to like her, as did Faolan; she was a nice girl who just needed her father at this time in her life. But she wasn't the only one.

Not only did Jack sense his mate's anger, but the overwhelming power of jealousy which he could practically smell, he didn't need to be an Empath to know this though, he could see it as clear as day. It was clear to him, although he hadn't met her, she had either upset her or she just didn't like her. In Scott and Rosie's eye however, they could understand her jealousy and anger towards her, they too seeing it as well. Myka has had her father all to herself for as long as she's known him. She's learnt to share Rosie because she's known Lupa and Dakota as well, so it was an understanding. But now that Aria's made her appearance in the scene, all his attention, in her eyes, is slowly being turned away from her and to this new girl. Her father, now in this girl's palm. Scott wasn't Lupa and Dakota father, and although they loved him like one, they weren't. Whereas this girl is, and this caused issues, she had to know that he loved her more.

This wasn't being immature, this was just proving who the top dog of this position was, who had the bigger right to Scott as their father. And it was going to be Myka; she was going to sure of it. She had mastered her powers of Telekinesis, healing and Wicca, this girl was a virgin to it all, she knew nothing. So her plan was needed to be put into place. The following morning, Jack was nudged awake but his mate nosing his face. "Hmm, what? Myka, what is it?"

"I need you to help me with something." She replied.

"What time is it?" He asked as he raised his head to look outside. The sun was hardly showing itself. "Oh my god Myka, the sun's not even up yet."

"I know, I know, but will you just come with me?"

"Is this about Aria?" He groaned.

"Of course it's not." She spat in a lie. He opened one eye, an unconvinced glint in them and she knew it. "Ok fine, it is."

"I'm not getting in-between all this or taking sides." He answered and rolling onto his other side to turn away from her. "Now please, you kept me awake all night." He added and covering his eyes with his paw. She growled and turned around to walk outside the den. She flicked her tail up to the roof of them den, her eyes flashing involuntarily and causing it to quickly crumble and a large pile of earth fall onto his head. In a way, in expected her to do something, but this was taking it too far. He sighed and shook the large pile of dirt off his head, using it as a pillow to go back to sleep.

"There is no time to stop and stare, make it quick to travel there." Her eyes flashed again and at the end of the words she was consumed in green light, and when it faded she was walking towards her parents den. She peeked inside to a horrid sight, her Aria sleeping here in the bed while her mother and father curled up around one another on the floor. _"I thought she was sleeping at Tony's?"_ She growled to herself mentally. Clearly not. Still, her task could be fulfilled, it might even be better if she witnessed this.

Aria started to open her eyes not a few hours later. The sun was up and shining, birds tweeted and chirped outside and no breeze blew into the den. It looked an amazing day. She pushed off the caribou skin she had used as a blanket and shuffled around to find out what the course of the noise was that caused her to awake. She looked down, nearly treading on her step-mother's tail. This was just too strange; her step mother was a wolf, as was her father now. He chose to live this way. In one way it was cool, in another it was just odd. A furry family, and she was the only one that wasn't. The floor was like a field covered in land mines, only it was a den covered in things that could wake them up. She completed the obstacle course with some near misses and stepped out into the light barefooted. It was bright, so she covered her eyes to search for the grunting and dragging sounds. To her right, a pretty much, al black furred wolf dragged a deer of some sorts up a slope towards her. She knew that wolf and she smiled.

"Hey, Myka right." She dropped the deer and looked behind her, quickly sighing after seeing who it was and rolling her eyes and starting to mumble to herself as she continued to drag. She pulled and pulled, dragging it to the centre of the stone surface in front of the den and dropping it. It was hard to bring this down on her own, hence why she wanted Jack to be with her. She stretched her jaw muscles; they ached after dragging it all this way. "Oh man, that's so cool." Aria gasped again. "And you got the throat."

"It's how we kill." Myka responded. "Go for the throat and kill it quickly. That way you won't get hurt."

"So, just to clear things up here..." She started as she walked around towards the view of the valley through the trees. "You weren't born a human too were you? I mean, you don't have a human mum as well right and you didn't just turn into a wolf too?"

"Don't be ridiculous." She spat. "My mom and dad are both in there." She pointed back to the den as she looked down to the kill. How could she make this better? Maybe cut the best bits out, leave them to warm up in the sun and by the time they're awake it'll be perfect. But just as she was about to slice into the belly of the beast, Aria sat on the other side of it, crossing her legs as she lowered herself.

"So what powers do you have?" Myka glared her right in the eye and sliced, a disgusting, squelching sound emitting and making Aria watch her in disgust.

"I have the sane power as dad and mom; I can move things with my mind and heal people."

"That's so cool."

"Is everything "cool" to you?" She asked hotly, now starting to get fed up of her. She only nodded back.

"Pretty much, I've never had siblings or a dad before. We don't have wolves in my country either so we don't get to talk to them or see them. Plus I've never met anyone with powers, so that's all new to me too."

"I'm sure someone will teach you how to use them." Myka grumbled as she ripped into it a little more and dug in deeper to find the prize of every and any kill. Her tongue stuck out as she was shoulder deep in the buck's belly, she find to focus on find it. Aria just watched, her gaze with her blue eyes only getting more and more irritating. Eventually, both her watching and being unsuccessful at finding the liver was too much. She growled to herself, yanked out her paw and picture to liver bursting out as she pulled back her paw in a fist. And that's what happened, her eyes flashed and the liver came sliding out as if something inside had thrown it out. "Now that was co…" She never got to say that word, not until Myka held up her paw and sealed her lips together as if her own paw was doing it. She mumbled as she tried to talk, but the invisible force wouldn't let her.

"If you say "cool" one more time, this'll be you." She gestured to the kill before relaxing her paw and Aria could open her mouth again.

"Awesome, I was going to say awesome." She said. Myka had to be joking, they were sisters, she wouldn't really do that. Myka dug her paw into the kill again, this time for the thick and tender piece, the heart.

"So what were you going to do today?"

"Dad and I are going to spend some time together; we haven't done that in a long time."

"Well, I hope you don't mind if I tag along." She hoped sincerely. "It'd be fun to hang with my dad and sister for as long as I can before I go back." That was the best thing Myka had heard her say since last night, tat she'd be going home in a week. But the words before hand weren't that good.

"Yeah, whatever." She clung onto the heart, getting a good grip on it and readying to pull it out. She braced her legs and pulled, yanking out the heart and holding it up in her paw. It dripped with blood, it squelched as she squeezed it slightly and more blood poured out of the arteries still attached to it. Myka licked her lips, this looked pretty good, she'd eat it if she hadn't planned for her mother and father to have these parts.

"Oh man." Aria said, this time not as enthusiastically. Myka looked to her, her face turning pale and slightly green. A deviously grin grew on Myka's face.

"Here's catch." She then tossed the heart towards her, it hit her chest and she panicked. She tossed it back, her shirt and hands covered in blood. She turned paler and paler by the moment and quickly her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell out her back out cold. Myka felt a slight pang of worry, but that was too miniscule to the fact she was finding this too hilarious. She walked around to her and poked her side. "Aria?" He laughed. "Earth to Aria, are you in there?" She was out like a light. It was about then she heard a few groans and moans coming from inside the den, her parents were waking up. She looked back down to her sister, a second and far more devilish look on her face.

A few minutes later, Scott and Rosie walked out into the sun to a surprise. Myka sat beside a kill, fresh by the looks and smells of it too. "Morning guys." She greeted, her tail wagging, but Rosie could sense something fishy about this.

"What are you after young lady?" She asked sceptically as they walked towards her.

"Me? Do I have to be after anything to just want to catch you breakfast?" She protested innocently.

"Yeah, whatever." Scott chuckled and licking her cheek. "Have you seen you sister, she wasn't around."

"She went for a look around, said she wasn't too far and to start without her. Go on dig in." She insisted. "I saved you guys the best bits." She added and tossing over the heart and Liver she plucked out, her entire right fore paw still looked like she had dunked it into a pool of that liquid. They laid down, still trying to figure out what she had planned for them and readied to eat. "But first." She quickly added. "Dad, I know you're getting fat so I thought you'd want more." She then presented a squirrel and she laid in in-between his paws licking his cheek this time as she moved away. It was alive, it breathed and its ears twitched.

"Me, fat?" He chuckled.

"I noticed it too dear." Rosie giggled. "She's not the only one. You should start running or something."

"Yeah whatever." He took the squirrel in one of his paw and opened his mouth, readying to bite into its head and kill it. But Myka's eager glare stopped him. She was defiantly up to something, and her glare began to worry him. He moved the squirrel away and her gaze turned into that of worry. Rosie sensed something was wrong; it had something to do with the squirrel.

"Myka, where's your sister?" Rosie asked again. She didn't answer, but her eyes darted quickly from the squirrel again back. Scott couldn't believe it, neither could Rosie and they both looked down to the small creature. It was! "Myka you didn't?!" Scott exclaimed and jumping to his paws.

"_Damn it!"_ She cursed herself mentally, something they heard.

"You turned your sister into a squirrel?" Scott exclaimed. "I nearly ate her!" He was furious, he nearly ate his daughter. She wasn't fazed, she didn't accept this.

"Myka, turn your sister back now." Rosie ordered, she still didn't move or change anything. "Now." She snarled again, this time with her eyes changing to add more to make it a threat. She was defeated, and with a wave of her paw in the direction of the squirrel, it was engulfed in white light which expanded super quickly and when it faded Aria sat groaned and rubbed her eyes.

"I was having a little fun." Myka protested. "What's wrong with that?"

"You took it too far." Scott replied before he turned and helped his human daughter sit up. "Are you ok sweetheart?"

"What happened?" She asked.

"You fainted, that's what happened." Myka answered. Once again the parents shot her a glare, she needed to apologise. "What, she did, I'm telling the truth. I did it afterwards!"

"She did what?" Aria groaned again.

"Nothing honey, don't worry." Scott answered. "Are you feeling ok?"

"A little light headed, but I'm ok." She nodded.

"Come on; let's get you inside the den." He took her hand and started to pull her up, but as she stood up she seethed and looked down to her shoulder. She had a reasonably large cut going over her shoulder a little way and across her shoulder blade. Scott had a thought his teeth as he was readying to eat her.

"Myka you can either apologise or heal her. Chose now." Rosie said. Myka didn't intend to do either.

"There is no time to stop and…" Scott used the same trick he taught her and picture her lips stuck together, and after that she wasn't able to finish."

"Heal her." He ordered. She couldn't and wouldn't say sorry, but even she now saw she was going to be forced to do either. She walked towards her sister who knelt down so she could reach her. Scott didn't take his focus of her lips as Myka raised her paw and placed it gently over the wound. But something unexpected happened. Before she even had time to focus, the wound seemed to have an idea of its own. It was like some magical green fire with its own life appeared around and over the wound. It was like it danced and over the wound, healing it as it travelled from her collar bone and up to her shoulder, healing everything it its path before it extinguished itself. Scott's focus was broken, and even Myka grew more jealous of the girl's powers. She could heal, she couldn't self heal. This was her power, the power of the phoenix. But this was something they'd have to push to one side for now "Now say sorry. Scott ordered again." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry for turning you into a squirrel." She sighed.

"She turned me into a squirrel?" Aria asked and looking up to her father.

"Now that's enough of this, anymore and things will get serious." Rosie warned as Scott helped Aria up again. "We'll all forget this happened and move one."

"You can't punish me, I'm a pup anymore."

"But you were in our home, so we will punish you if we see fit." She saw the complete seriousness in her eyes. This wasn't fair; she was a grown she-wolf for goodness sake. She had powers, she was all grown up, she has sex for crying out loud! She wasn't some pup that could be scolded by her mother and father anymore. If she wanted to travel then she would, if she wanted her father to herself then she would make that so, if she wanted to have sex then she was going to, if she wanted to turn her sister into a toad then she would. She turned around and started walking away.

"Enjoy breakfast." She said before she recited her spell and vanished in her green light.

Aria changed her clothes and washed her hands, everything that happened to her just before she fainted came flooding back. So while her parents ate she changed and washed in a stream she knew was pointed towards not too far away. She was there in a heartbeat, it was freezing, not surprises there. Myka seemed a nice girl; she understood that her being her into a squirrel was a practical joke. They were sisters she wouldn't really do that. They were going to get alone soon enough, she could feel it.

She sat back onto her heels and slipped on a fresh shirt, she was clean and had a fresh set of clothes on, much better. But as she started to put the dirty, bloodied ones into the bag she had, an idea sparked. She was telepathic right, and if the comics were right, she could read minds. She composed herself and closed her eyes, sitting there and trying to figure out how this worked. She linked in with her father back up the slope; he was only a few hundred metres away, so she wasn't in any immediate danger. Common sense made her think, the idea was that you form a link, imagine your mind in the mind of another if you want to talk and see their thoughts. So she imagined she was in her father's head, her eyes clenching a little more as she tried to imagine that happening. She exhaled loudly as she gave up; he'd have to teach her how to do it. _"Is everything ok?" _Her father's voice suddenly spoke to her. He looked around, expecting him to be around somewhere.

"Dad?" She asked aloud.

"_Who else?"_ She heard him chuckled. _"I felt you nudging me, what's up?"_

"Nothing, I was just trying to see if I could reach you." She laughed, she actually did it. It was like a phone call, he just wasn't answering.

"_Well you did, but only just. Come on back up and we'll talk about it."_ He sensed her nod. She packed up the rest of her things into that rucksack and scampered back up the slope, this afternoon was going to be a good one.

**Some tense moments, Myka really isn't happy about this. but surely she'll see sense and calm down after seeing Aria just wants to get to know her dad, not steal her away from him. Right? Until next time!:D**


	5. Chapter 5 Fast Learners

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 5: Fast Learners

The rock vibrated, it gently rocked side of side as if something invisible had its hand around it and tried to lift it. "That's it, go on you're so close." Scott said, rather impressed by what he was seeing. Aria had a keen and hardy stare going on in her eyes, she didn't blink and she didn't take her eyes off it. So this first day together Scott wanted to teach her how to use her powers. Telepathy was already under her wing, it was an easy gift to master, it only took Scott and Rosie a morning to learn how to use it and talk over long distances. It took a little while longer to learn to share images, memories and rummage through other's memories thought. It was something she could learn herself. But now Scott was convinced he had once against passed down his telekinetic gift, for as he talked her through how to use it on a rock he placed on top of the boulder outside their home, it started to move. Her eyes flickered green for a second before returning to normal. Her shoulders were high, her hands tucked into her sleeves and her eyes wide as she focused while her father walked back and forth behind her to talk her through it. Rosie sat in the den entrance watching and listening with a smile, he was using the same methods he used to teach Myka.

Those methods sounded easier then they really were. When Aria first heard it, she thought it was a piece of cake, but no, it required much more concentration. The idea was that you focus on the object you want moved, bent or just what you want to control, then picture it happening so hard in your mind that it happens. But it requires complete concentration; she couldn't be put off by anything. She seemed to be doing ok, so Scott started making distractions for her, throwing sticks to the sides to make noises, clapping his hands behind her, things like that. Some put her off and other didn't, and soon nothing fazed her. She was in the zone, but she still struggled to lift it.

But finally, her eyes flickered quickly and sparked before staying green, causing the rock to rise. Scott's smile grew enormously. "That's it, you're doing it." She grew ambitious, and as her eyes brightened for a second, the two cracked and split in two and she was able to concentrate on both pieces. He looked back to his mate.

"I don't even Myka was this fast."

"She's good, maybe better then you." Rosie giggled teasingly.

Aria was getting the hang of this, it was simple really, just picture what you want to happen so hard and vividly that it does. She gently raised her hands towards the two rocks, her mouth opening and her breathing getting a little louder. She eyes shone brightly, this was incredible, with this gift she could do anything! She squeezed her hands quickly into a fist, and the rock shattered into dozens of tiny rocks and each little piece continued to float. He was now getting more then impressed, she could indeed turn out to be better then him if she was this fast at learning. A slight hint of jealousy as well maybe. Her eyes pulsated a final time, but this time things didn't go to plan. Each tiny piece of rock flew away from her at the speed of a bullet, well…more like the spray of a shotgun. The loud boom of Starnik energy banged in their ears before the rocks burst away from her, hitting trees, bushes and eventually passed them all and into the valley. She covered her ears from the sound and eventually looked up at the small holes she made in the trees. She looked back to her father. "Well, that was…good." He said, rather in shock from what he just witnessed.

"Was that just real?" She asked.

"You better believe it." Rosie answered with a proud expression. "That was very impressive." But then, a flash of green and a light boom sound rung out, and there appeared Dakota walking towards them shaking his head and his teeth gritted together. He didn't look happy. "Hey baby." Rosie smiled while walking towards him and licking his cheek. "Missing us already?"

"Hey mom." He replied less enthusiastically and hugging her. Something as wrong, she could hear and feel it.

"What's wrong honey, something is."

"It's nothing; Chance is just being cranky and I've had enough of it." He replied as they pulled apart.

"Go back and talk to her." She pretty much ordered back. "Walking away from her will only make things worse."

"She told me to get out; I'm giving her the space she needs gladly." He replied a little hotly. "She's taking this bet with Myka way too seriously."

"Bet with Myka?" Scott asked.

"Don't ask, it's pretty weird." He sighed and shaking his head. "I was hoping we could go Ditori hunting or something today, it'll help take my mind of things."

"Sure, I was thinking the same thing." Rosie nodded in agreement. She too needed to do something to day, and what batter way to have fun and pass the time then to go and hunt down your enemies for a bit of sport. "Scott are you about done here?"

"Yeah I think so." He nodded. He then looked down to his daughter. "Listen, Rosie and I have to go out to see some old friends. Do you think you'll be ok here by yourself?"

"She won't be." Lupa then came walking in out of no-where with one of her pups, Sarah, sitting on her back. "I want to get to know my sister better and Sarah here wanted come as well."

"There, maybe you won't be alone now after all." He added and looking back to his daughter.

"Ok dad, I'll be fine. I got here by myself didn't I?" She giggled.

"Ok." He smiled and kissing her forehead. "We won't be long." He then walked around her as Lupa swapped placed with him. He walked into the den and geared himself up, clipping on his quiver to his side and slipping his bow over his head. He took that small book of names and addresses and a box kept beside the trunk of souvenirs back outside and together he, Rosie and Dakota looked through them. They had made quite a dent in the book already, there had to be around three hundred names in the book, and now those numbers had been depleted by around one hundred and twenty. They were getting through quickly, they didn't know if there were more names on more books, but they'd be able to rest if these names were gone. The reason they continued to do this s because for the last seven years they done nothing but run and fight these people, it was a way of life, and it's hard to give up a life that you've known for so long. Plus it was a little payback, they forced Lupa to become the Earth Angel, to make her die and leave her body behind and give her children a half life, like she once had.

The addresses were mainly of home addresses, old, small bunkers, abandoned warehouse. Basically, places the Ditori once used as safe-houses and still use as refuges now that everything they once had was no destroyed, and now it was their turn to start running. It as pretty simple really, pick an address, see who was there, kill the people that are, making sure they were Ditori first of course, them find some sort of ID and take their name off the list. Simple really, nothing could and ever has gone wrong. Well, apart from Lupa who seems to want them to stop and believing it was some mid-life crisis they were going through. She wasn't them to stop, but they weren't going to until the last name had been crossed off. Scott followed his finger down the page all the way to the next name on the list. Some ex-commander of one of the old Ditori's HQ's, this was his personal safe-house. They didn't know if these people were dead, they didn't know if they had fallen in the times they had fought, so they followed any lead they could. They fallowed his finger across, the address.

"Salt Lake City?" Dakota asked. "Are you kidding me, the city?"

"Argh, I hate the city." Rosie grumbled.

"We'll make it quick." Scott added. "We'll be in and out before they even know it. Don't worry." He clicked his fingers, and as his eyes flashed the box lid flew open. It rattled a little, but with everything inside it didn't fall. It was full to the brim with leaflets, flyers, brochures, those kinds of things, it was Dakota's way of getting around, and seeing as he can only jump to places he's seen and memorised, it was the only way they could get around the country quickly. A picture of a location would work just fine, hence why many times they've telepathically sent images to him. But when it came to a place they haven't been before, this was their solution, a box full of different locations. After rummaging around for a moment, out Scott pulled a leaflet of Salt Lake City, a leaflet about some colossal banking building, it was pretty much a skyscraper. It dropped it before Dakota so he could put everything back, passing his daughters again. Just doing all that took but a few minutes.

"You'll be ok while we're gone, right?" He asked just making sure. She sat cross legged with little Sarah in her arms, both of them giggling lightly.

"I'll be fine dad, don't worry about me."

"Ok, I'll reach out for you when we're coming home." He kissed her forehead and then kissed Lupa's.

"Look after her." He whispered to her.

"She'll be fine, don't worry." She reassured before he walked away, giving one last smile to them both before reaching his mate and step-son. "Ready to go?"

"As long as you are." Dakota mumbled as he handed the leaflet back to Scott in his mouth.

Only a moment later, before them stretched Salt Lake City with its vast highways, streets, skyscrapers and smaller buildings. One on of them, Scott stood and Rosie and Dakota sat overlooking it all. This was a large bank, clearly, and to add to it Scott stood in-between two letter as he looked over the city with his sharpened eyes. Rosie did the same, sitting on a letter "D" up and beside him and on the other side Dakota stood looking across on a letter "A". This was an advantage point; they could get e brief lay of the land.

"And we've got to find one building in all of that?" Dakota asked.

"Well, we'd better get moving." Scott replied.

"You know, I don't think I've ever felt so ready to kill someone. It's worrying me." He chuckled as he looked down, it was a long drop. "You know what, I think I'll take the short cut, see you down there." He then vanished, and far below them there was a small flash of green that could only have been him.

"And he didn't offer a lift." Rosie giggled. "Come on, I'll race you down." She added before together they jumped and plummeted towards the ground.

Back with Lupa and Aria, they were really getting to know one another. Lupa liked her clearly, she saw Aria was a great girl and she was proud to be her step-sister. Aria thought the same thing, even despite the fact they were different species. Right now, Sarah had fallen asleep; the others had been gone for about an hour now and she was bounced out in Aria's arms. She had never had a dog or seen a wolf before today, so this was all new and awesome at the same time. She was getting a lesson about the family, how everything was and why it was like this. So far that was Lupa's early life growing up with her mother and father, how shortly after Scott came back from England Shadow passed away and soon after that Scott and her mother fell in love. One of his powers was to turn into a wolf, and with some help from their family spirit guide, A.K.A her grandmother, his power was reversed, so he was a wolf who could change into a human. She was taught about the Ditori, they constant fights they used to have, how they all once died, how Myka was brought into life and how her life was with Karl and Lexi. She called it "Starnik History 101", it was a long history lesson and one Sarah fell asleep listening to.

Then it was Aria's turn, she explained her short life and the events of it. She'd only been around for around seven years, but Lupa had already explained to her why now, so it put her mind at rest that although she have a short life, but she'd still have many more after that. She explained her mother and family life, how they moved constantly because they didn't want her thinking she was a freak by how fast she was growing. When the subject of her father arose, it was a topic that wasn't around for long. But when her eyes started changing a few months back, both she and her mother knew it had to be from the father, the father being Scott. She had the same eyes the Starnik had, she'd seen new reports and You tube videos of them and she started to think tat possible that human one was. She followed trails and clues she found and her mother gave her and that led her to Kalispell.

"Wow, you really went though all that to find Scott?" Lupa laughed while crossing her front paws.

"Yeah, I really want to know why everything was happening to me the way it was so the best chance was finding my father."

"It seems both our families have been through tough times." Lupa could understand this and where she was coming from.

"Now that I've got answers, I can go home and put my mums mind at rest, she thinks I was going to die before her and she didn't want that."

"Well you probably will." Lupa nodded. "But you'll live again. The Phoenix is an incredibly rare gift that only comes around every few hundred years. It ages quickly, but when it dies whether that be from old age or some other means, it's body will heal itself and return it's mature state, so probably about the age you are now and you'll live again."

"How do you know all this? It's kind of creepy." Aria laughed a little.

"My grandma, she's our family spirit guide and helps us when we need her. She taught me a lot of things and when we all died I learned a lot more. I have loads of cool powers, and one of them is psychokinesis." Aria tilted her head, what she was she talking about? Lupa saw she didn't understand. "I hear and see dead people basically." He added. "Among other things I could do with it, I can hear spirits and… You know, I don't actually know how half my powers work, I haven't had them for very long." She had a point; Lupa didn't know how a great majority of her godly like powers worked, hence why Sarah and Shadow would teach her when she had the time.

"So you haven't always had them like me?"

"The shield…" She answered and holding up her paw to create that sparking ball she could make. "I've been able to so since I was seven months old, that's when mine and Dakota's eyes changed for the first time and our powers were active. Grandma gave me a couple more when I was nearly two and the rest came to me when I became the Earth Angel a few months ago." Aria just had an expression of complete confusion. "I told you it was confusing." She finished laughing.

"Yeah, just not that confusing." She replied. It was then that Sarah shuffled around in her sleep, muttering and whining a little as if she was having a bad dream. Aria began to think she had done something, Lupa only just giggled at her reaction.

"It's ok, she's just dreaming. Pass her here." She shuffled closer and laid her in her mother's paw. Lupa licked her kicked and whispered some quiet words of comfort to the small pup which made her quieten down and eventually stop.

"So if you're a mum now, does that make me an aunt?" Aria then asked. Lupa nodded

"Of course, you're one of the family now. Maybe not related but you're defiantly my sister."

"You really think that?" She asked, believing she was only being modest. She nodded back quickly.

"Of course." She said as if it was obvious. "I saw Scott's power in your blood, if you're his daughter and Myka's his daughter and my sister, that still make you mine and my children's aunt."

"Thank you, that mean a lot to me."

"You are very welcome." Lupa smiled and place her paw on her knee; it was the only spot she could reach. "So has Scott been teaching you how to use your powers yet?" She nodded again.

"Yeah, the telepathy was pretty easy to learn, the whole moving things was a little harder."

"I bet, I remember when he taught Myka." Lupa agreed. "She struggled a little at first, but once you can do one things it's easy to learn the rest."

"You said I could control fire too." She then added. "Would it be pretty much the same thing?"

"I guess." Lupa shrugged back. "Just picture really hard what you want it to do and it'll happen if you will it enough. We know someone who used to be able to do it; maybe we can get him to help you."

"Really, because that would be great."

"Of course, in this family we look out and help each other. We will all do anything to help one another."

Meanwhile, Scott stepped over a bloodied corpse, pulling out the arrow embedded in his brain and wiping it on his leg before placing it back into his bow ready to use again should he have to. They were right; this place was full of Ditori. It was a home, on the outside, a perfectly normal house with flowers, the odd crack in the driveway, and husband and wife inside. It was a cover up, the husband and wife weren't at all and the other's inside weren't family friends. It was a quiet suburban street, so nobody heard the screams. There were six of them in here, so Scott began his normal procedure, look for ID's and cross them off the list. This home looked perfectly normal inside too, apart from the basement that had a stockpile of weapons hung on the walls and in crates around place. Some mean house.

"This is starting to get strange." Rosie said from another room, meeting Scott in some dining room as they both went through different doorways to check the place out. Dakota was upstairs, checking to see if he could find anything or anyone. "This is the most we've found in one place."

"I know, but I bet they're all just survivors sticking together, that's all." Scott finished groaning as he rolled over a corpse and checked the pockets for some ID. He found one in this guy's wallet and looked for the name in the book. "Huh, this guy isn't in the book." He double checked, no, he really wasn't.

"Maybe they were recruiting; maybe he's someone they recently found." Rosie wondered. "Remember, we already talked about this. Not everyone will be on the list." Scott nodded and dropped the ID.

"Yeah I know. It's nothing." He smiled as he stood back up.

"Guys, up here!" Dakota called down. They made a fast paced walk up the stairs.

"Where are you buddy?" Scott asked.

"In here." They saw his shadow moving around in a room. So they went to that one room, a small bedroom with a single bed and a wardrobe. Scott tried to look for whatever it was that Dakota called him up for. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"What's wrong?" He asked. He managed to get his claws around the wardrobe door and opened it, then nosing the other open. Stuck and pinned to the back of the doors were posters, pieces of paper, small notepads, and a map. It looked like a plan of some kind.

"What is that?" Rosie asked.

"That's not all." Dakota added. Look here." They watched him walk towards the bed, the corner of something wooden sticking out the side of it. So his step-father lifted the mattress and pulled it out, placing it on the bed to have a better look. It was something similar to the wardrobe; it was a notice board with paper, a map and a few other things on it. The map had one area circled, an area in South Dakota. But one thing caught their attention more then the rest. Looking back to the wardrobe, Rosie saw the same thing in several places, and that one thing said. "Who's Charlie Norton?" She asked, the name written in several places on the board and wardrobe.

"Beats me, must be some old commander of theirs or something." Scott said. "Well done son, it's a good find." He added and rubbing Dakota's head.

"Are they trying to come back?" Dakota wondered as they tried to make sense of the writings and scribbles.

"They wouldn't dare." Scott answered. "They know they can't defeat us, they're probably just looking for others and this Charlie guy is just an old commander they're looking for." He stood up straight and pushed the broad away. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. Come on; let's get out of here before someone finds us." He then walked away, Rosie right behind him but Dakota stayed put. There just was something about all this, his instincts tingled violently and knew that something was wrong about this. The name, "Charlie Norton", another thing that he seemed more focused on was another thing written down." Serum138". The area in South Dakota, none of it made sense, but it put in instincts into over drive. Were they planning something? Surely not, everything of theirs are in ruins, the leftovers were forced into hiding they couldn't come back no matter how hard they tried.

"Kota, honey are you coming?" Rosie called from downstairs.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" He called back, taking one last look at everything before joining them. Something wasn't right, they were up to something.

**OOOOOOHHHHHH, are the Ditori up to something? Are they plotting some sort of up rising against the Starnik? Stay tuned to find out. Until next time. :S**

**The FalconWolf**


	6. Chapter 6 I Love You More

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 6: I Love You More

Sitting outside her den, Myka was winding down from hers and Jack's intimate moment that occurred a few moments ago. It was the day after she turned Aria into a squirrel, and she knew she'd still be there. All day, Jack sensed her anger and jealousy towards the human; she wanted to take action but seemed to be cautious about it. She hardly slept the night before, shuffling around and sitting around the den constantly and therefore waking him up. It wasn't until this morning she awoke him again, this time for something he didn't truly mind being woken up for that he realised she needed some tension released. She was practically mating with him before he was even awake.

And that was their morning so far, two full hours of pleasure and loving. She still had her own task of getting pregnant as well as getting rid of her sister for good. So she killed two birds with one stone, they worked on her getting pregnant and she relieved some stress. Everything else in-between was a bonus. They haven't washed; they haven't done anything yet to disguise their morning activities, all for a specific reason. She looked back into the den, Jack stretching off his aching muscles while groaning and seething, both he and she went all out this morning, admittedly, getting rather "freaky". It made her giggle, seeing him like this. It made her think back to memories of them both in the time they've known one another, back when they were just friends. They've known each other since they were pups, starting their little gang with Clare and Gary. They had play dates together whenever she came here with Karl, Lexi and Tony for wolf speak classes. They came here often, and not always for the classes, just for Myka to see her friends for a week or so before they went home again. Never did they think they'd fall in love. But it wasn't exactly luck either; it was an awkward moment really. She couldn't help but lunge at him when she came into heat while he was motivating her to hunt through his bets.

He finished and walked towards her, a tired and worn out look spread across his face. "Oh, is my little hubby all tried out?" She teased.

"Defiantly, what drove you this time?" He chuckled while kissing her before sitting beside her.

"You, going all Empathic on me and going insane." She giggled.

"It's all a bonus." He chuckled. "So what were you going to do today?"

"I was going to see Dakota and Chance, then maybe go back to see mom and dad later on."

"Please don't tell me you have a thing against Aria?" He complained.

"What makes you think…?" She started to retaliate when that stupid realisation came over her. She couldn't lie; really, she couldn't, not to him anyway. "Don't answer that." She added. "But seriously, I just want to see my mom and dad, we had a little argument last time and I wanted to patch things up." He looked at her sceptically, straining his ability to the best he could. She was hiding something, but her words spoke the truth. "I'd like you to come with me."

"To see your brother? You know he still has a thing against me." He scoffed.

"That was a long time ago, I'm sure he's over it." She giggled and taking his paw in her. "Come on, I need to see Chance."

Chance and Dakota were in their den. She stood with her back towards her mate, looking down and organizing piles of wild herbs, leaves, sticks and flowers. She was the pack's healer after all, with her x-ray eyesight; it was common sense for her to be. The white and black she-wolf reeked of the same scent her mate did who laid on his front, his head up and his fore paws crossed as he watched her, a particular part of her. She hummed to herself as she did a count of her things, her body slightly bobbing along to the tune she had going in her mind. Some human song she once heard a while back that she just couldn't get out of her mind. Dakota could take his eyes off her, more so her hips that swayed and wiggled from across the den and faced him. Yeah they had a fairly rough day yesterday, but it was all cleared up later on that night in the form of words and intimacy. The intimate part being the source of their argument in the first place. She had a bet wit Myka and she was determined to win it, and Dakota just didn't want to play along with it that morning, a big mistake. Never get in the way of a she-wolf in heat who wants to mate with you, for she will be a force worse then a thunder storm.

But now that things were a little happier, and she had a reason to be much happier, he grinned to himself as he watched her. Her snow white fur, black left ear and right paw, she was just amazing in every possible way. She continued to hum as she looked back at him, feeling she was being watched constantly and it was starting to bug her. Dakota didn't even seem responsive of her looking back at him; he was still focused on her rear. She wriggled a little morning, giggling gently when his head followed it. Males, they can't think straight while around a she-wolf in heat, let along control their actions sometimes. Dakota maybe good at controlling himself around hormonal she-wolves, used to being around his sister and mother constantly, but there were times were he wanted to mate with her and she didn't, and therefore it didn't happen. She looked back down to her collection, still giggling while she hummed that tune again. Dakota sighed, this picture was just perfect. Sure their marriage was getting off pretty quickly; after all, they've only known each other for a not even two months, yet here they were trying for a family. It really was love at first sight; he did marry her only the day after they met.

"Really Dakota!" Myka then exclaimed as and Jack walked into the den. He quickly shook his head and looked back at them.

"We haven't walked in on anything have we?" Jacked added with a slight laugh.

"Nope, got that out of the way last night." Chance replied. "Please, come in." She added and trotting over to Myka. The two she-wolves crossed their necks in a small hug. "So, are you?" She then asked.

"Maybe, are you?" Myka asked back. They both tried to figure it out just by looking each other in the eye, they couldn't get an answer. "No, I'm not."

"Good." Chance smiled. "Because neither am I." Chance giggled with Myka soon following.

If you haven't got the idea yet, their bet was to see you could get pregnant first. That was the bet; winner gets the honour of gloating about it and having to go through the pain of pup birth first. It was a strange deal, and the two didn't mind talking about mating and so on. Chance maybe a year older, but they didn't mind. They were sister-in-laws and the best of friends. So hence why they constantly talked about the things like they were about to next

"So, when did you two last…?" Myka asked.

"Last night." She whispered confidently.

"What about you?"

"This morning." Myka giggled. They kept conversations like this quiet; the boys didn't like talking about this kind of thing, it embarrassed them beyond belief. And that's pretty much why they were on the other side of the den. They knew they were talking about it and therefore they refused to be a part of it.

"You think they're talking about it?" Jack asked quietly.

"Of course they are." Dakota grumbled. "It's all they talk about these days."

"Look, while we have the chance, I wanted to talk to you about something." Jack then asked, he wanted to get this out of the way. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but I was hoping we could put everything behind us and carry on with life."

"I'll always hate you Jack." Dakota grinned. "But I can live with that, I can't kill my sister's mate after all." They shook paws, a mutual understand coming between them. "But remember, I know a nice shark pool." He winked.

"Yeah, I remember." Jack nodded with a smile.

Later on that day, Aria was alone by the den, her father and step mother had gone to hunt for dinner tonight. She had been practising again all morning how to use her telekinetic gift and she was getting the hang of it. That talk she had yesterday with Lupa was just great; they got on like a house on fire, a real good one. She and Lupa had a lot in common personality wise, they were snappy, judgemental, persistent, and even a bit risky at times. Lupa wanted to see more of her, even after she left to return back to England, she wanted to keep seeing her. She could do that, she'd find her and see her, she could find anyone on earth if she so wanted.

She was bored, there was nothing to do. At first she started playing with her powers, using a rock again and trying to move it back and forth across the den space. But that soon became boring. So she started looking through the things inside the den, mostly the truck filled with all kinds of things. But that small activity didn't last long. So she walked outside the den, resting her hands on her hips and letting out a loud sigh of complete boredom. There was nothing to do around here, was it really necessary for them both to go? Surely one of them could have stayed to keep her company. No patience this girl had, so it was killing her. Soon boredom turned into slight anger, and she kicked at the burnt sticks and the pile of ash used the night before in front of the den. Ash flew up into the air, the sticks clanged and tapped as they were knocked around and she walked passed them.

She looked over the view of the valley; she couldn't see them, where had they gone? She looked back at the scattered ash she left lying around, and then to a stick that was in that pile. It had a small orange glow on the end of it, a small ember that used still used to start a fire. With difficulty of course, it would be hard. But maybe not for her. She had a power to control fire right? So could she use this? She looked around; nobody was here, so if this went wrong or it didn't work she wouldn't look like an idiot. Using what her father taught her, she picture only in her mind the stick rising, blocking out everything around her as she did. The stick was like her slave, it did as she commanded and lifted off the ground. She opened her eyes as it hovered at head height, the ember pointing skywards. But now what? What does she do now?

She brought one hand up, readying to click her thumb and fingers together. Another thing her father once taught her, build up the energy before hand and then throw it at the object. Her eyes had a wild spark in them as well as the green, obviously. Her teeth gritted together as she struggled to focus on nothing but what she wanted to happen. Her hand started to strain as the energy built up in her, her finger and thumb being tightly press together. This was uncharted territory; she didn't know what she was doing. It was an experiment really. She snapped her fingers together, throwing that energy mentally towards that ember and keeping her hand up to support the stick better. Suddenly, that ember caught ablaze, first glowing a brighter red before erupting the entire stick into flames. Whatever she was going she wasn't stopping, she wanted to hold the small ball of fire the size of a football for as long as she could. She didn't want to lose it; she wanted to see what she could do with it.

She brought her second hand up, her eyes watering from how long she's had them open for. She made her fingers touch the fingers of her other had, like a kind of cage. The same principle applied with the stick, she thought of what she wanted it to do, using her hands would help seeing as you can imagine your hands being around the object and you're physically holding it. It helped, and as she pulled her hands to the side very slowly, the ball of flame stared to grow bigger. But she couldn't smile or laugh, her concentration would be broken otherwise.

To the right of the den, Myka and Jack appeared in a flash of green. "Mom, I'm…" Her and Jacks jaw dropped agape at the sight unfolding before them, luckily Aria didn't hear them and she continued to make the size of the ball of fire bigger, now the size of a wolf. She lowered one hand and kept the other out forwards with her palm up, imagining her hand was under it and keeping it in the air. She started walking towards it, an overwhelming sense to approach it. She couldn't feel its heat, she was standing within reaching distance and it was like it wasn't there. Ok, so there was some warmth coming from it, but it wasn't burning her. That's what was strange about it, was she was this close and she wasn't getting hurt. Its overpowering want to touch it became too great, and soon she ran her hand over the side of the flames and it quickly turned green at her touch. The entire ball of flame, now the same green her eyes were. This time she laughed a little. How was this possible? This was stuff you'd find in comic books; none of this should be real. Yet here it was, happening to her right now.

But all things come to an end at some point. Scott and Rosie came walking back up the slope with five hares split between them in their mouths, but quickly they were dropped at the sight unfolding outside their den. Myka and Jack knew they were there, but they couldn't take their eyes off the spectacle. "Aria?" Rosie asked loudly. Suddenly, the ball of fire pulsated and burst outwards, throwing her backwards and the fire to diminish along with the stick that was used to start the fire fall to the floor completely unscathed. Worried, Scott and Rosie ran to her aid.

"Aria, are you ok?" He asked and brushing her hair out her face with his paw. She was laughing, she was fine.

"Dad, did you see that?" She asked with the happiest grin. "Did you see it did you see it?" He started laughing, but because he was relieved she was ok.

"Yeah, I saw it." He chuckled and helping her sit up. "You're getting good."

"I just did what you told me, pretended that I had it in my hands and was really moving it. It worked!"

"Good job kiddo, now how about you go get cleaned up, you've got a little…on your face." He chuckled and pointing to one of many scorch and dirt marks on her face. "Go on, make it quick and I'll take you for a walk around the valley."

"Why don't I go with her dad?" Myka asked and walking towards them. "I was hoping to make up for yesterday."

"Sure honey, go ahead." Scott nodded. "Get to know one another better." Aria led the way, but before Myka could walk after her Rosie pulled her to the side.

"If you try any more of your stunts like you did yesterday, you'll be in so much trouble."

"Mother darling, like I said, I'm trying to make up for yesterday. I won't do anything nasty to her." Myka smiled cheekily and licking her cheek before walking after her sister. "Probably." She added quietly.

She was being half truthful, truthful by saying that she was going to show her around the valley. Although Myka herself had only lived her for about a month before she and Jack moved away, she remembered a good majority of the surrounding areas. Still, she had a hatred for the human, yet she was able to disguise it and seem interested in what she talked about. They walked to the stream where they both cleaned up Aria washed her face and Myka had a fast wash to mask some of the smell from her body. Afterwards they trekked around the forest and across the plain. Myka had one place she truly wanted to show her, and not to do something mean to her, she genuinely wanted her to see this place she had in mind. It was a carry on lesson from Lupa's the day before, a continuation of the Starnik history. The plains, nothing interesting, accept the herd of caribou which Aria found a wonder, another thing they don't have in England, only deer and they run if you come within their hearing distance so it was hard to see them. So she found these a wonder to behold. They proceeded onwards, across the plains, crossing the thin, narrow river that travelled along the middle of the plains and back on the other side. They walked onwards up a long slope going up a hill, Aria not seemingly worn out or tired yet.

By this point Myka was getting more and more irritated by her voice alone, not just the consistent amount of talking. So what if she was just a teenager, she was getting annoying, she was certain she wasn't when she was an adolescent she-wolf. So what if in human years she was only around eighteen years old, this girl was ridiculous. Aria was technically her big sister seeing as she was born first, things between them were confusing, which only added to her frustration. "So where are we heading exactly?" Aria asked as they reached the top of the slope.

"We're here." Myka answered as she walked on ahead. "This is what I wanted to show you." Aria looked around, what was so special about this cliff and the view of the valley? She didn't get it. So she asked that question. "Well, this is the place where a number of things happened." Myka answered. "Mom and dad howled for the first time in this very spot, and he wasn't even a wolf at that time. This was the same place where before that they learned to use their powers. Here they were safe and wouldn't hurt anyone while they learned. It's also the place where I was made, if you know what I mean." She winked and giggled. It sent a shiver up Aria's spine though, that she really didn't need to know.

"Ok, I still don't get why you brought me here." She replied as she followed Myka towards the cliff edge. She looked down, boy it was high, there was no chance she'd live if they fell. Last she checked she didn't have that power. She might self heal but that's ridiculous.

"This is a major place in my family's history, so it was only fitting you should get to see it for yourself." Myka then walked away from the cliff edge, leaving her sister beside it. She still didn't really understand. Sure it played a part in her father's life, but why bring her here just to tell her that.

"Ok, but why couldn't you have just told me this."

"Because one more thing is going to happen in this spot." Myka answered a she turned to face her.

"Which is?"

"You're going to die." Suddenly, she threw her paw out towards her and Aria was pushed towards the edge. But she stopped just before she went over. Her feet were still on the ground, but she leaning back over the edge, it was like something was stopping her from falling.

"Really? I'm going to die?" Aria asked. "You're going to kill me?"

"I don't have a choice; you come into my life and ruin everything." Myka answered

"You're funny." Aria laughed. "I can see why we get along so well." This drove Myka insane, they weren't getting along! She charged at her at the same time she dropped her and they both started falling. Aria screamed as they fell, spiralling out of control, Myka only laughed at her as she was able to control how she fell. She was steady and laughing while Aria spun and screamed. It was all very funny to her, and as they neared the ground se only began to laugh harder. This was all a part of her plan, she wasn't going to die, she could stop herself. Aria couldn't. The ground neared quickly, they fell faster and faster until the point came that Myka needed to react. Her eyes flashed and they quickly slowed.

That's right, both of them.

As much as she hated this girl right now, she couldn't kill her, it would only make things worse between her and her father and really she needs to be showing her that he loved her more. They came to a quick stop, hovering off the ground for a moment before falling, Aria onto her chest and Myka landing on her paws. Aria whined and sounded to the crying on the floor facing the ground, Myka was proud; she had her in her paw now. "So now, I think you need to…" Aria rolled over, her mouth open and tears falling down her face, tears of laughter. She was laughing, she in fact crying from how hard she was laughing. Myka couldn't believe it, after all that, threatening to kill her and dropping her down the cliff, she was laughing.

"That…was…awesome!" She exclaimed in-between breaths. "Let's do it again!"


	7. Chapter 7 A Second Coming

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 7: A Second Coming

Five days to go, and Myka couldn't wait. So her attempt at scaring Aria to leave failed epically. Dropping her off a one hundred foot cliff with her jumping too, she thought it had worked by the amount of screaming and screeching she was doing during the five seconds it took to get down. Clear not, because at the bottom she was laughing uncontrollably and wanting to do it again. So, for a rich English girl, she was an adrenaline junkie it seems. So she tried other things, seeing as throwing her off a cliff wasn't enough for her. Forcing a herd of caribou to charge at her, stopping them and forcing them to divert right before they ran over her. It still didn't work, to her it was a game of chicken, how close could they get before she got out the way. She didn't move and Myka had to divert them away. Aria was a tough girl to break. So using her telekinetic gift, she lifted a huge elk they came across and dangled it over her half sister's head as she laid down. It's kicking and screeching mere millimetres from her face, she didn't break. Myka was running out of ideas, no matter what se thought would scare her into thinking Myka would really hurt her, it didn't work, Aria only found it fun and made her like her sister all the more if she was this much fun to be around.

Myka just didn't get it, how could she not understand the message she was trying to send? She had to leave and never come back. She couldn't have her father; she didn't belong in the Starnik bloodline and life. She had to go back to England and never come back. Upon returning back to the den, Aria was still laughing over the power her sister had and how she used it for fun if she wanted. Myka was exhausted, her powers had drained her energy and she was ready to crash out at home. Aria may have won the battle, but she hadn't won the war. Her mother and father actually thought she was trying to make up for her actions the day before by Aria's glee and excited facial expressions, it sounded like they had fun, so Myka went along with it. But she was happy when they returned, the look on her father's face when he approached her, he was happy with her again. _Perfect, she was getting his attention more now. She was starting to draw him away from her._ She went home and slept the rest of the day off, she was far too exhausted to do anything more. At least she was in her father's good books again.

Meanwhile, Dakota was still curious and suspicious, and two days after he, Scott and Rosie bombarded into that apartment filled with Ditori members, he was back. He had lied to his mate about his whereabouts, Chance was under the impression he was visiting his mother and Scott so she allowed it. But like I said, he lied, and now he was back. He reappeared in a flash of green light at the top of the stairs of the home. Careful not to tread on the body that still laid there, he stepped around it and walked back into that small bedroom. The flies had began to arrive to feast and lay their eggs in the corpses, the smell of death was as clear as day here. There he pulled back the wardrobe door and looked up to the writings, the map, the notes, a plan they were trying to build together. His strong instincts had told him ever since he last came here that the Ditori were up to something. It kept him up at night, it made his gut tingle and turn each time he thought about it during the day. He had to solve this; he had to know if they were planning something.

By the looks of the wardrobe door and the table surface that was hidden under the bed, it was clear that they were trying to do something. He dragged the table top closer to the wardrobe so it would be easier to see both. Two things cropped up more then anything else. This "Serum 138" and the name "Charlie Norton", these two things were something serious and they were going to use. But this Charlie person, was this a new commander maybe? A new leader of the Ditori? It must be, after all, they won't be able to function without a leader. That has to be it!

But this Serum 138, what was it? It couldn't possibly be more of the fluid that acts as a poison to anyone but the Starnik, when to any with Starnik blood it acts as a power stripping liquid. One drop, but then again, there wasn't another drop left on earth. The rest of it was destroyed, and used in the weapon once wielded by the Englishman leader known by many as Sam. There wasn't anymore, so what was this new serum they spoke of? The map, it marked an area in South Dakota. What was so special about this place? He'd have to investigate further, but not on his own. This could be major; he couldn't go on his own. Maybe there would be something else in one of the other rooms. After taking a mental picture of everything in this room, he walked back out and started searching the others. Rummaging through draws, cabinets and more wardrobes, but not finding anything else, that one room hand everything they were planning. But what were they planning?

Suddenly, the door downstairs opened and slammed, quickly it was followed by many footsteps and voices. He flinched, who could it be? Curiosity got the better of him and instead of jumping out of there he walked back and to the top of the stairs. He lay on the floor and crept as far down the stairs as he dared, stopping about a quarter of the way down before the humans came in sight. Three humans, two men and a woman, walking around the living room opposite the stairs and checking the dead. They seemed unarmed, but their intentions were clear. They weren't normal people, that much was certain. One man stood up from one of the bodies and turned towards the front door. "Sir, all dead." Quickly, a fourth man walked into the room. This man was well built; he had to be the most muscular human Dakota had ever seen. He wore a black T-shirt, black cargo trousers, pretty much a military get up, he even had a pistol of some kind strapped to his thigh. His hands fisted, he looked to be a very strong, serious man.

"Was this the Starnik?" The woman then walked towards the corpse, knelt beside it and placed her hand upon it. Her eyes scanned it, but she didn't do anything, it was like she was waiting for something. After a moment, she stood back up while nodding.

"Yes sir, this happened right after we lost communication with them." She had to be a supernatural of some kind; anyone could have done this so why did they assume it was he and his parents? Right there and then, seeing this human, he knew straight away that he had to get out of here.

"Search the place." He ordered. "Retrieve the plans and dispose of the bodies." With orders received, the four humans started searching; the mess Dakota left upstairs would only alert them to his presence. He carefully and quietly walked back upstairs, back into that room with the plans inside. He had to put everything back. He shut the wardrobe door, he placed his paw on the table top and then quickly point to the bed, and in a flash of light it appeared back under the mattress. It was right after that he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Still, he couldn't jump now; they'd see the light it makes. Thinking quickly, he looked up at the landing ceiling, seeing the attic door open and a space to land. He dashed after that behind the door, and with the image of the attic still in his mind, he jumped, the wall and the door concealing the light jumping annoyingly made. He couldn't see the floor though, only the space, so he fell and landed heavily on a clutter of things stuff in this place. It made a loud noise, so his cover was blown.

"What was that?" A man's voice asked.

"Search in there, I'll go up there." That woman's voice responded. A flashlight turned on and the ladder was pulled down to get up to the attic. Thinking quickly again, he ran quickly add quietly alone the narrow path along the attic and darted behind a large luggage case just as the flashlight shone in and towards him. He peaked through a small gap at the woman as she stalked slowly towards the back where he was, taking each steps carefully and gently. He was in trouble, she see him if he didn't do something. "Anything yet?" Their leader's voice called out.

"Nothing sir." She called back, turning her eyes from a split second and giving him an opportunity. He jumped and appeared behind her, but carefully balancing himself on the beams that held the attic together. This was perfect, he could kill her right here and now, she wouldn't feel and thing and nobody would notice until later and he was long gone. He crept stealthily across the beams, just above her head. He licked his lips, readying to taste the human's blood which he didn't mind; he's had his fair share of it and has become accustomed to the taste. She stopped, looking around the case he was just behind, her head down and the back of her neck exposed. He opened his jaws and readying to drop down onto her. But suddenly, his instincts began to tingle again, his body radiating in something similar to a minor pins and needles. It put him off, his I instincts stopped him from doing it. There was something else to the girl then just the possibility she was a supernatural, and whatever it was it made him miss his moment.

He mentally cursed himself for missing the opportunity, but why did his intuition kick off the way it did? What was her role in all this? It was then that the leader climbed into the attic space with them and he slithered back into the corner of the attic, his dark fur hiding him in the shadows, not so much for his white underside, so he had his side turned to them to hide himself better. "There's nothing up here sir, I guess it just fell on its own." She informed him as she walked back to him.

"I'll look myself, nothing happens without something starting it." He responded while taking his pistol in hand and his flashlight in the other. She walked passed him and back to the hole in the floor to get back out, but stopped and watching him do his own search. Dakota watched him carefully as he shined his light around to find the source and the woman just stood there with hers, looking around when suddenly, her light passed over him. She brought it back, certain she saw something there, and she did. They both locked gaze, looking at one another, both aware he had been seen. That only lasted for a moment, and to Dakota's surprise, she moved her light away and looked away. He breathed in relief, ok…so maybe she didn't see him. But the man was about to; he was lifting his light up to look at him. He had to think fast, he looked to the spot beside him and while covering his eyes, they flashed as he conjured a rat which faded into the attic by his foot. It ran over it and towards the girl. The light was lowered and they watched the rat run and jump back into the clutter.

"A rat? Really boss, you got your gun out for a rat?" She smirked.

"If you're sure the Starnik did this, then you can never be too careful." He answered while sheathing his weapon and walking back towards her.

"So what now?" She asked as he walked passed her and started climbing back down the ladder.

"We'll return to HQ, we'll bury the dead, inform any family and carry on with the plan."

"Not long to go sir, we're nearly done."

"Indeed, now let's move out." She sat on the edge and started climbing down, but just before her head moved passed the edge, she looked back up to Dakota. Ok, now he was certain she had seen him. She didn't say or do anything, she only dropped the rest of the way down and walked away and out. He didn't understand, who was she, why didn't she tell anyone? He was certain she saw him, she must have. Even a bat could have seen him, and bats are blind! Who was she, what did she have to do with the Ditori?

**I don't know why, but i love adding a mystery girl into my stories, and this is only as of today! I konw this chapter is short, but i couldn't think of much to add into it. Who is she, what role does she have to play for the Ditori, does she have a power? Read on and ****review to find out. Until next time. :D**

**The FalconWolf**


	8. Chapter 8: Passing Down and Over

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 8: Passing Down and Over

With Dakota questioning and tracking the Ditori he bumped into that day, back up north things were developing. Myka had gone home exhausted, sleeping off the remainder of the day due to a lacking of physical and Starnik energy she had used that morning. But she was back in her father's good book, that's all that matter for now. She would carry on with that rapport and build it further. Aria was still as jumpy as a live wire, finding the morning eventful and exciting after seeing what her telekinetic gift would allow her to do. She couldn't wait how to be taught the things Myka did. How to jump of cliffs and land without broken legs, how to lift objects the size of an elk and bigger. Myka was an amazing sister to have in her eyes, she couldn't wish for better. Sadly, it couldn't be said the same the other way around.

Lupa came by to visit not a few hours afterwards, along with her mate and her pups eager to see their new human aunt and play with their grandparents. Lupa wasn't like Myka; she loved Aria just as much as Dakota and Myka, like a sister. She thought it was a great thing to have and see, it added more uniqueness to their family. As did Dakota, but sadly he's been off on his own tasks, he hadn't come around to visit since the night she first came to the den. But that night, he did come around for a few moments, apologising for not seeing her enough and that he'd like to. He also added that he'd like to get Lupa and Myka together say all four of them could go out one day. It was another thing Aria couldn't wait for, a real sibling day out somewhere. Dakota never did tell Scott or his mother about what he discovered, he wanted to get proof and confirmation that they were certainly up to something. He knew they were, they were plotting something major, but there was nothing to support the fact that they were indeed trying to do something. He just didn't know what.

And then there was that woman, the one who clear saw him yet did nothing about it to raise the alarm. She even stopped their leader from passing his flashlight over the shadows he was hiding in before it hit him. Who was she, why didn't she say anything? He had to find out. But for now, he needed to spend some time with his mate, a rather hormonal mate as he found out after he returned home. She wanted some attention, the attention she hasn't gotten all day due to him being away for some strange reason. All she had to do was talk and walk around with her elderly father and friends, so now was a time to let loose and have some attention all for herself. But why was her mate acting the way he was, she could sense and feel on him he was tense, even slightly stressed. She even saw his heartbeat increase in his chest each time she asked him what he did, she saw he was lying. She'd figure it out sooner or later.

So the next morning, four days to go until Aria was to return back to England, Dakota had kept his promise and executed what he had planned. A sibling day out, and after asking the words… "If there was anywhere on earth you could be, were would you go?" The three wolves and single human appeared half way up Mount Kilimanjaro, a mountain in Africa to be more precise. It was cold and warm, so neither species complained about the temperature. This was the fifth teleportation Aria had now gone through with her step brother, so her head was left with nothing but a slight dizziness and a brief, minor headache. She gasped a little at the sudden change in temperature. From meeting at their parents den, first they jumped south to New York, visiting the top of the Empire State Building. Secondly, south again to briefly feel the colds of the arctic. Aria didn't have the correct clothing to last more then a few minutes there. Thirdly, north east to wonder the streets of Moscow, Russia. They took it easy and carefully, this place was not integrated with wolves yet, so it was something new to see three of them walking along the city streets. Fourth on their travels, a walk down the peaceful rivers of northern Canada, giving Aria another Starnik history lesson. But on conditions, they never mentioned a word on the Ditori. If Aria knew that they've killed before, her point of view on them might be shifted. They've killed before, she can never know that. Sure, they mentioned them a few times, but saying that they were a group that didn't agree it the Starnik and wanted the exact opposite. So a simple argument was brought around and the Starnik won. Simple and something she bought, she could never know who the Ditori really were. Anyway, why mention them again now that they were gone?

After their long walk down the serene rivers, their fifth stop was to the mountain in Africa, over half way up so the view was incredible and the air was still thick. It was perfect, despite the fact she landed with the smaller aftermath that came with jumping. "Are you ok?" Dakota chuckled as she fell back after the rough landed. She wasn't the most stable and well balanced of humans. She was rather clumsy. She only giggled after a moment and pushing herself up.

"Yeah, I'm good. I just tripped." She replied.

"Wow, now look at that view." Lupa said quietly as she walked towards a tall vertical drop that dropped down into a ravine. The view was amazing; the horizon seemed to just go on and on, travelling over vast plains and a kind of shanty down built a little distance away. Aria walked to stand beside her in wonder of the sight while Myka stood where she was. She the view was great, but she wasn't happy to be here with the human.

"Come on, be nice." Dakota chuckled a he walked beside her.

"You just don't get it do you?" She responded. "I've had my dad for myself all this time, and suddenly she shows up and takes him away. It's not fair."

"You're acting like a pup." He only laughed.

"Well maybe I will. I can't wait for her to leave."

"You know she'll be back again." He sighed amused and shaking his head while walking to the cliff. Myka knew this; she just didn't want to think about how soon she'd be back. But for now, just go with the flow and let it pass. So with a sigh, she walked to the edge and looked over the view. The sun was getting low in the sky, but that was time zones for you, back in America it was only just mid-day.

"Today has been great." Aria said.

"You mean the morning." Lupa giggled.

"Whatever, but thanks, it's been great."

"Oh, so don't thank me for thinking about it." Dakota scoffed sarcastically and acting to be hurt. It was then that they heard a loud whistle coming from down below and looking down in their sights came a she-wolf, at first it seemed to be Lupa, but she was there with them. So there was only one other explanation.

"Is that…?" Myka started

"You!" Aria yelled down.

"I don't just belong in your dreams!" Sarah laughed back up to them.

"Grandma, what are you doing here?" Lupa asked down to her.

"Why don't you come down so we don't have to shout?" She suggested. With that Dakota jumped and reappeared a moment later before her, Myka jumped over the edge and Lupa, both landing gracefully a few seconds later. Whereas Aria was stood at the top, she couldn't do either of that, so she was left up above.

"Whoops, sorry." Dakota waved his paw up towards her, and after she vanished in a flash of green she appeared in another beside him, once again falling with a hard landing.

"You've seriously got to get better at that." Sarah laughed. Aria was only too serious as to what she was doing here. She quickly jumped to her feet, looking down at her bewildered.

"You can't be real, you were a dream."

"You should know this family well enough by now dear. Since when is anything not possible here?" She giggled again. "No, come here babies." Lupa was the first to fly into her chest and warp her paws around her. She loved her grandma, despite the fact they saw each other frequently. Next Dakota wrapped his single paw around her, getting a kiss on his cheek from her. Myka copied Lupa's actions and jumped into her and hugged her tightly and after that Aria didn't do anything. "What? I don't get a hug from you?" Sarah asked while sitting.

"I don't get it. Who are you?"

"Seriously, you don't know her?" Lupa asked. "I've told you about her too many times already."

"It's ok sweetheart." Sarah smiled. "My name's Sarah, I'm these gorgeous pups's grandma and your step-mother's mom. Also, I'm your very own spirit guide."

"So, it wasn't a dream when you told me to come find my dad?" She shook her head.

"Nope, recently it hasn't been safe for you to be around this family. But now it is, so it's time that you were a part of it."

"What do you mean dangerous?" She asked with a slight tilt of her head. Sarah looked to her children and they all gestured for her to not say a word. So she lied.

"It's…been a little hectic; I think is the best way of saying it."

"Oh, you mean the Ditori? Lupa told me all about them." Acting quickly, Lupa quickly and mentally told her along a psychic connection what she really meant and what they had told her. It was understandable; it was to keep her safe. The less she knows of the Ditori the more likely she'd be safe should anything come up.

"Good, then you should understand." Sarah nodded after the brief understanding.

"I don't really, they were just a group. How would I not have been safe?" This was starting to spiral in the wrong direction, something needed to be done.

"So, why are you here grandma? Been following us around our world trip?" Lupa asked. Why were they trying to avoid the subject, why did her own small human gut feelings churn at the thought that they were keeping something from her?

"Oh I know where each and every one of you are at all times. I know."

"Ok, really grams? Do you really need to tell us again that you're watching us all the time, even in the most perverting of ways?"

"No, gods…do you really think that I do that?" She only received three obvious glares. She tells them she's always watching them, that she knows what she's always doing. They weren't impressed. "Sorry, but I'm not the only one!" She then exclaimed. "You're father has seen a thing or two as well." She retaliated and referring to Shadow.

"Oh my god, really?" Dakota seethed at the horrendous thought that his father has seen what he and Chance get up to.

"Wait, what are you guys talking about?" Aria asked.

"Don't ask." Myka grumbled annoyingly. "But why are you here grams?" This conversation wasn't exactly heaven on earth for Sarah either, she wanted this conversation forgotten and never spoken of again. But since when has that ever worked?

"I've come to talk about you Aria." She answered. "You're powers, how are you finding them? Can you manage them?"

"You came to talk to me?" She asked strangely. This was their first actual conversation together, in her dreams Sarah had only pointed out that she needed to find her father now or never. "Well, the telepathy was a piece of cake, I'm getting used to moving things and I tried fire yesterday which seemed to work out."

"And your self healing, do you have to do anything for that?"

"No." She shook her head. "It just does it on its own."

"Good, and what about your regeneration? So when you die, do you heal again and return to the maturity stage of your life?"

"How do I know? I haven't died yet and neither do I intend to any time soon." She replied.

"I'm just checking, I only want to see if there was anything I could help you with. It's kind of my job to guide you in the right direction in all." Sarah responded. "But there is one thing I'd like you to know." She then added.

"What's that?" Aria asked.

"I'd like you to know how to jump and fall like your sister and father, to use your telekinesis and land safely and jump to high places."

"Dad said he would at some point." Aria added herself. Scott had already told her that he'd show and teach her at some point, that it would take a few days to learn like it took Myka.

"Well, why don't you learn now?" Dakota then added. "Myka can teach you."

"Whoa, wait…what?" Myka stuttered as she was suddenly bought into this.

"You can do it, so you can teach her right here and now." Lupa agreed. "You know how, you can teach her and right here we have a cliff. Scott passed the knowledge down to you, so you can pass it over to Aria." She added and pointing back up to the top of the forty foot cliff. "You have everything you need, the knowledge, the skill, the student and the cliff. Have some confidence, you can do it."

"Spoken like a real guide." Sarah smiled. She didn't realise it.

"I know, don't let me get used to it." Lupa nodded and shivered as it travelled up her spine. The Earth Angel was like a separate being inside her, and the day she died it came forth in her and became Lupa. It was hard to try and not let it take her personality again, turning her into a peaceful, loving guide or angel like her grandmother. She liked her snappy, wild and teasing personality, she didn't want to lose it. It was a constant battle, but most of the time she liked to let her inner angel loose around her children, it was good for her and them to be peaceful.

"Fine." Myka growled with flattened ears. "Kota, do you mind?" He nodded and with a wave of his paw in their direction and the two vanished to reappear at the top of the cliff. It gave the other three a chance to talk.

"So, what's going on with those two?" Sarah asked.

"Well, if it wasn't obvious enough now, Myka hates her." Dakota chuckled.

"But "hate" is an understatement." Lupa added with her own giggled. "It's more like she loathes her."

"This will give them some time to bond, more time like this and they'll see they have a lot more in common then they think."

"Aria thinks that, Myka…not so much." Dakota answered.

"Why do you want Aria to know this? It's not like she's going to need it." Lupa asked interestingly. Sarah only turned to her, a far more serious look on her face.

"She will, she'll need this."

"What are you talking about?" Dakota asked now just as worried.

"You'll see. But for now, don't worry, just enjoy the days that you have."

Back up the cliff, Myka was going through the instructions to landing safely as quickly and plainly as possible. She wanted this over and done with. She had already gone through half of it, the rest was easy. For her anyway. "…And after you're ready, all you've got to do is jump and right before you hit the ground, imagine you are falling though water. Make it really vivid, like it's happening all around you, it'll slow you done but get ready for a hard landing just in case."

"And dad taught you this?" Aria asked as she looked down at the others over the other side. Myka nodded.

"Landing from a height is one thing, jumping to a height is something else and is a lot harder to do. I'm sure dad will teach you before you go home. It took me nearly three days to learn how to jump with height, so don't be sad if you don't the first time." Aria looked back at her.

"So jump and imagine falling through water."

"Yep, and ready for a hard landing." She looked back down the drop, the daunting, now seemingly higher then it was a minute ago, drop. She had fun last time, but this was different. Myka caught her; she wouldn't be able to this time. Myka saw she was hesitating, so action was required and it was an action she didn't mind fulfilling. She approached her. "You know, another thing dad taught me once that really helped." Aria looked back at her, wondering what it was if it was going to help. "We both agreed…that it's better to learn while doing it." Suddenly, and with great pleasure, Myka extended her fore paws and pushed her over the edge. Aria reached back to try and grab something or her, she failed and started screaming. "Falling through water!" Myka grinned as she quickly fell.

Aria watched the ground rapidly approached her. She thought back to what Myka said in those few seconds she was falling, "falling through water". Her eyes flashed a single time, nothing happened. The ground neared as they flashed again; still she fell with ever increasing speed. Myka watched, she'd never admit it, but there was a slight hint of worry she may have actually just killed her. Her mother can't being back the dead anymore, but then again, she was a Phoenix, she'd die and regenerate into her younger body again. So there wasn't a nig deal about it. Aria's eyes flashed a third time, this still wasn't working and she imagined it so vividly. She closed her eyes and covered her face, this wasn't working, she was as good as dead. She waited, and waited…and waited. She opened her eyes, her arms still covering her face and the ground only a few inches from her face. Nothing was holding her up; nothing was there to catch her. She was suspended in mid-air for a few seconds before she fell the rest of the way, landing on her front with a bump.

"Well, better that then ever." Lupa laughed and Sarah faded away, seeing her task was in the stages of completion. "But well done." Myka then landed with a big thud and a groan beside just her. She shook her fur and kicked out her paws to get rid of the vibrations.

"Not bad, now do it again." Aria sat up.

"What?"

"Do it again, get used to doing it." She nodded back to her brother as she walked towards him and he returned it as his eyes flashed and a moment later they all heard…

"Oh come on!" Aria exclaimed from back above the cliff.

"Something tells me you took too much pleasure in doing that." He said.

"You think." Myka winked with a devious grin. "Did grams say why she came?"

"Not really, she just said that Aria needs to learn this, that there will be a time and place that she'll need it."

"Back in England hopefully." Myka wished.

Dakota's instincts started violently tingling again, why? Was this subject related to the thing the Ditori had planned? If so, what was Aria's part in it all? And that woman, the one question still lingered in his mind. Here, half way up Mount Kilimanjaro, in the middle of Africa, he mental devoted to find this out, without his family. Lupa couldn't know about this, her dream life with her mate and pups had come true, he couldn't ruin that for them. Scott or Rosie couldn't, as much as they wouldn't mind and would want to help, the less who knew would be better. It maybe nothing after all. Myka, Chance, Aria…none of them could know, he could deal with this on his own. First things first, who is that woman?


	9. Chapter 9 The Papa Shuffle

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 9: The Papa Shuffle

Monday night had come faster then expected, annoying for Myka, Aria had mastered landing safely from a height. She now took no pride or pleasure if she pushed her off a cliff again; there was no fun in it anymore. Aria was constantly practising jumping off that cliff they were at for nearly an hour before they finally returned home and departed to return back to their homes and mates. Scott was happy, he could see Myka was trying to help her control and use her powers so she wouldn't hurt anyone. But it also surprised him; maybe that rough patch the two went through is passed. If she was anything like her mother, then he knew it would take longer for her to understand this. Maybe this was the beginning of it. Better late then never.

Lupa returned home still happy, she loved Aria like family and the sister she now was, as did Dakota. The afternoon he wanted turned out perfectly, a real siblings bonding moment. But way did Sarah have to show up? As he knew very well by now, she only turned up when something bad was happening. She turned up right before his father died; she turned up frequently when Scott was falling into Expression, each time she makes an unexpected appearance, something bad follows. So what would happen this time? Did it have something to do with the reason she wanted Aria to learn how to jump higher and land safely? Did it have something to do with the Ditori strays up to no good? He had to find out.

But anyway, later on that night, another family dinner was called in by Rosie. All the family together again, pups and grand-pups. Preparing for it, Scott and Rosie had cleared the den of leaves and dirt for their grand-pups to sleep in later on, and right now they were out hunting. Aria once again found herself back at the den by herself. She was told it was dangerous out in the plains, it wasn't safe for humans, supernatural or not, it was best that she stays back near the den for them to come back. So once again, she found herself entertaining herself. With her earphones plugged in and her phone playing some of her favourite songs, she danced along to the tunes playing in her ears. She hummed then as she danced around. Her one passion in life, the one thing she wanted to be more then anything was a dancer. She never went to school; she had been home school all her life. Her parents dared not put her in a real school in case of bullying or questions to her rapid growth. It was for her own protection and wellbeing. She didn't mind, she still had friends anyway who understood her. But still, she wanted to be a dancer. Admittedly, she thought she was pretty good, as did everyone who was lucky enough to witness her. Sure she maybe a good dancer, but she wasn't one for doing it in front of strangers yet.

It was the one way she could express herself through moving, it was like her own way of meditating. But all moments have to come to an end at some point. Myka and Jack faded into the vicinity, all washed, bathed and decent looking as they walked towards the den, but to this brand knew sight. First it was the ball of fire, now it was her dancing. "Wow, you didn't tell me she could dance." He said rather impressed by the sight.

"How could I when I didn't know." She replied as they watched her move around, her body swaying and moving around. "Are you going to stop her or am I?"

"She's your sister." He chuckled. "I'm going to find your parents; they're probably out in the plains. I'll give them a paw." He added as he licked her cheek and walked towards the gently hill. Myka looked back to her sister, still oblivious to her presence.

"Mute her music, turn it down, despite it'll make her frown." Her eyes flashed as a rush of Starnik energy flew out of her and towards her pocket. Quickly, she stopped, and as the spell said she began to frown as she pulled her phone out of her pocket to see it had been turned off. Myka coughed to gain her attention. It worked and Aria quickly asked.

"How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough." She answered. "I saw everything. I'll admit, I'm impressed." She added as she started walking towards the den.

"Thanks, I want to study it at some point." She said bashfully while blushing slightly.

"You want to be a dancer? Really?" Myka couldn't help but laugh as she walked into the den while shaking her head. "There are so many more things you could be doing with your life. Dancing is a hobby, you can't live off it."

"Some top dancers get paid for it." Aria snapped. "And that's what I want to do."

"Ok, ok, no need to get snappy with me." Myka said. "But in this family we all sing, we don't dance. All wolves can sing, so therefore we all do."

"I can't sing, believe me, you'd rather hear nails on a chalk board then me singing." Aria replied.

"So you dance instead?" Myka asked as she flipped open the truck and started looking inside it.

"My grandfather was my inspiration." She nodded. "I love him to pieces; he thinks I should do it for a living. We kind of have our own little thing."

"You and your grandpa have your own little dance?" Myka laughed. This was getting priceless.

"Yeah, and you don't? Or you don't have a song with one of yours?"

"Well, my human grandparents I hardly see anymore these days, and both my wolf grandparents are dead. So no, I don't."

"Fair play." Aria shrugged. "But you should, it's rather fun."

"Like I said, wolves don't dance."

"Well then be the first." Aria insisted. Myka stopped and looked up to her.

"Are you trying to get me to dance?"

"You taught me to fall today, now let me teach you to dance." She smiled and walking back outside. "Come on, it'll pass the time before dad and Rosie get back." Myka looked around, this was stupid, all she wanted to do was find some notes she stashed in the truck, a couple of old spells she hid in here to collect later on. But now she was being made to dance with a girl she loathes. But why not? It'll pass the time; but her feelings towards the human hadn't changed. Also, should her father show up, it would look like she was still trying to be nice. It was a win-win situation. Still, she was reluctant. So gritting her teeth she turned around and walked outside the den. "Don't worry, this'll be fun."

"Oh I don't doubt it." Myka said sarcastically. Aria stopped beside her on the left, both of them facing the right direction.

"So, this is the papa shuffle. What you…"

"The what?" Myka really couldn't help but laugh this time. This really was getting ridiculous.

"The papa shuffle, it's what my grandfather calls our dance." Aria giggled. "Now it goes like this. Two steps to the left." Myka followed her lead, not so enthusiastically. "Come on, better then that!"

"Ok, ok!" Myka growled.

"Now, two steps to the left." This time, they added a bit of groove into it, imagining a little beat with it. "Now two steps to the right." Straight after the two steps they side stepped right. "Now, freak with it." Aria swayed her hips in a circle around to the left; Myka really couldn't help but laugh. This was actually turning out to be rather fun. Wait, she was actually having fun with her! Aria lifted her right hand into the air as she did this and Myka kept her four paws on the ground, needing to for balance. "Ah, ah, now freak again." This time they circled to the right, both of them giggling again as they rotated their hips and body clockwise. "And two to the left." They side stepped left. "And two to the right." They side stepped right. Myka was getting the hang of this.

"And freak with it." They both said in unison as they rotated their hips anticlockwise. "Ah, ah, now freak with it. Ah, ah." They said again as they went right.

"Now push." Aria said as she pushed her arms out to the left and Myka pushed her paws to the right. "And lean." They leaned back and Aria crossed her arms, that simple little dance now over. They were laughing, Myka, never admitted, had fun. She actually enjoyed it. It was fun, she was genuinely laughing instead of faking it or forcing it to come on.

"Now that's catchy." They looked to the right, and Dakota and Chance stood with smirks and smug faces. Both of them appeared just like Myka and Jack, bathed and brushed neatly. They both knew that Myka hated Aria, but here they find them laughing and dancing together. "Yeah, freak with it, ah, ah." Chance giggled as she bobbed her hips to the same beat. Myka quickly moved away, a now neutral expression on her face and coughing.

"It was to pass the time." She quickly said.

"Well I had fun." Aria added still laughing.

"Yeah, whatever Myka." Dakota chuckled. He then turned to Chance. "Listen, I've got some stuff to deal with quickly, can you tell mom and Scott I'll be a little late?"

"Of course, don't be too long." They leaned into one another, giving each other a deep and quick kiss that lasted a little longer then it needed to. After they pulled away, he vanished in his green light and low boom to leave behind his jump scar. Chance still wasn't finished with her teasing.

"So, how did it go again?" Myka shook her head, cracked a small smile and walked back towards the den to go back to finding her notes.

Meanwhile, Dakota appeared in the centre of exactly where he wanted to be. But he wasn't sure about what he'd find. He stood in a clearing, a large clearing with no trees or mounds. It was flat, with short grass, and the trees around formed the perfect circle that must have been nearly a hundred yards in diameter. This was the place he had spent the entire of yesterday afternoon searching for. It was the place the Ditori had marked down on that map. It was hard work to find it, and finally it had paid off. It was a long and tiring afternoon of searching, jumping from one place to another and looking through human leaflets. Let's just say he returned home with a serious headache from the consistent jumping throughout the day. It was a matter of jumping and conjuring his siblings around the entire morning, taking Aria home. Spending the little time with Chance, then while she was being the pack's healer for a young pup he took the chance and started searching. First he went back to his mother and step-father den while they were all out, including Aria. He rummaged through that box of leaflets, flyers and posters they had, finding the nearest one to South Dakota. Minneapolis was right next door to the county, it was the closest he could find. So picture heavily the picture on the leaflet, he first went there. Then it was a matter of constantly jumping and moving in the direction of where the map said. After an hour of jumping, running and walking, eh was left with a huge headache. He found this place, had a quick looked and then went home to rest. He'd come back here later on.

Now it was later on, he was back and refreshed. What was so special about this place? All it was, was a clearing, nothing out of the ordinary. Ok, there was one strange thing about it. There were no signs to say that anything made it this way, nothing had forced this clearing to be like this. But nothing can naturally make a clearing this way, there had to be some human interference. At some point in history, the humans must have done something to make the clearing this way, there was no chance nature just wouldn't let anything other then grass grown this way.

He started walking out further into the middle of the clearing, feeling the need to investigate. But investigate what? There was nothing to investigate; there was nothing significant about this clearing. But then why was it marked on that map? It had to play a role! He continued to walk, when the soil beneath his paws turned hard. He stopped, lifted his paw and looked down, seeing a stone slate laid there covered by the grass. He brushed off some of the dirt and, it was around the length of his tail and a little shorter by width. It was rectangular, buried into the earth; it had been here for some time. Puzzled, he thought that maybe there were more. And upon thinking that, eh discovered something else. A thin line of white pebbles led out from the right at a slight diagonal lone. He followed it, walking across the clearing until her came to another stone slate and another white line leading back across in a diagonal line. He followed this line, leading to a third stone and line, then another and finally discovering a fifth before the lines of pebbles led back to the first slate. He couldn't see, what did they make? He had to get higher.

After a moment, he found a tree that was relatively high and had some branches that he could balance on. He jumped up and moved as close to the ends of the branches as he could without them snapping. He was amazed by what he saw. The slates were at the points of this picture, the lines crossing over each other and joining them together to make this picture. It was a pentagram, a Wiccan pentagram to be more precise. This star he had not seen in any other place but in Myka's note book, or her witch's Book of Shadows where she keeps her spell and rituals. This star was big, but why was it here? And how long has it been here for?

He jumped back down, narrowing his eyes as he started getting another headache as he tried to piece all this together. Why was a Wiccan star marked on a Ditori map? Suddenly, a car came crashing through the hedges to his right. He thought quickly and jumped, reappearing behind a tree around the clearing. The car skidded to a halt at the edge of the trees, behind them, concealed, was an old trail wide enough for a car. Stepping out, that heavily built man stepped out with the military get up. Then out the other side, another man and that woman stepped out. Immediately, his eyes were draw to her. Her short brown hair, styled in a way with hairspray or something to make it the way it looked. They walked towards the circle, the leader's arms out to the sides a little due to the size of his muscles.

"Stephanie, give me a perimeter check." She walked towards the nearest stone slab and knelt down to touch it. Narrowing her eyes, Dakota watched to try and figure her out, what was she doing? So he now had her name, Stephanie. Her eyes looked left and right quickly as if she was looking for something. Suddenly, and briefly, she looked up at the tree Dakota was in moments ago, then to the spot in was in before they came crashing through and then to the tree he was hiding behind. Once again, they locked gazes, both knowing they were looking at each other. He didn't move or do anything; he wanted to see her reaction. She pulled her hand away and stood back up, still looking at him as she responded.

"Nothing, nobody came through here." She confused him, what was her part in this? She was Ditori, why wasn't she saying anything? Maybe it was a trap, maybe she had told them already!

"Good." The leader nodded and impressed by her talents as she turned to face him. "We must carry on with the surveillance and daily check ups from here on. We can't let anything jeopardise what we're setting up for."

"Understood sir." The other man and Stephanie replied.

"Sir, if I may..." Stephanie started and walking a little closer to him. "Now that we're together, what is the next stage?"

"We move in for the capture of Charlie Norton." He answered. "With that completed, there is nothing that can stop us from summoning him again."

"I'll do anything to help you get your friend back sir, you can count on me." She nodded and being honest. Dakota instincts started piecing things together, were they doing what he was beginning to think?

"Good, now, let's move out." They started moving back to the car, when suddenly, a deer behind Dakota saw him and screeched loudly while running away. Dakota seethed as he watched it run from him, a predator.

"What was that?" The man said, raising the hunting rifle in his hand to the area the sound came from. The leader slid out his pistol and took it in both hands to point it in the same direction.

"It sounded like a deer." Stephanie said quickly. "I'm sure we spooked it."

"We've been making plenty of noise; if it was spooked then something in there spooked it." He waved his two fingers towards the tree Dakota was hiding behind, he was busted. They made a fast pace walk towards the tree, readying to act and move away if they had to. Stephanie stayed put, hoping Dakota had gotten away. He hadn't he was still stood there with a dumbfounded face as the sudden realisation hit him. He knew what they were doing. The Wiccan Star, the leader wanting to bring his friend back by summoning him, the plans, the map, this sacred place.

"_Oh my god, they want to bring back Sam!"_ It was so clear now. Sam, he was the one member of the Ditori who became immortal, giving them a great advantage; he was the only one who had plans that occasionally worked. He was the only one that was able to make the fluid that takes away their powers; he was the most dangerous Ditori member to have ever existed, and they wanted to bring him back!

He snapped out of his sudden realisation right as they were on the other side of the tree. He needed to get out of here, he needed to worn his family, this was now serious. He jumped straight back to the family den, but there was one fault to it. The two men jumped around both sides of the tree, not finding anyone, but the very well known jump scar that only one wolf in the world leave behind. They had been caught.

"Stephanie, get on the radio!" He ordered as the two men quickly started walking back. "You tell them right now we've been compromised, the Starnik know everything!"

Dakota reappeared in the family den, his eyes wide open frantically and desperately at the horrendous plan being plotted under their noses. Everyone was here, Lupa, Faolan and their pups, a fresh caribou carcass, some steak from it sizzling on a stone plate Scott used often for cooking meat. No-one was eating; they were waiting patiently for Dakota. They all turned to face him. "Finally, where had you been?" Faolan exclaimed, eager to begin eating. He didn't answer, be was, if anything, panicking from what he had just witnessed.

"Dakota, you're terrified, what's wrong?" Jack asked. He couldn't put it into words, he just couldn't. So he stood their with his jaw moving as he tried to talk. He shook his head a little to try and get it out.

"Kota, what's wrong honey?" Rosie asked and getting up.

"Ahh…Can w… err… C-Can we have a family talk?"

**Ta-dah! So all those who thought Stephanie was Aria's mother were wrong! Still, the question remains, who is she? So, the Ditori want to bring back Sam. but still...Who's Charlie Norton, what's with the pentagram, how do they plan on bringing back Sam? The one person who actually had plans that occasionally worked. Laters!**

**The FalconWolf**


	10. Chapter 10 More Secrets and Favours

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 10: More Secrets and Favours

"They're WHAT?!" Rosie exclaimed. Dakota couldn't believe it more then the next member of his family. This had gotten big, too big for him to handle alone; he needed to let everyone else know. He brought his mother, stepfather and sisters to the side, leaving the others around the fire while they walked some distance away and out of earshot to break this horrific new.

"Keep your voice down!" Dakota seethed.

"Son, are you sure this is happening?" Scott asking wanting a confirmation.

"I heard everything; they wanted to bring back a friend, the one person who got the most down for the Ditori. Who else could it be?"

"How, how are they?" Myka asked.

"There's this clearing in South Dakota, I was searching for it all afternoon after we got home this morning."

"The place on that map?" Rosie asked. Dakota nodded.

"Wait, what map?" Lupa asked, what were they talking about? Myka was just as puzzled.

"Anyway, I found it, it's this clearing in the middle of the woods and there's some giant star there. I've only seen one like it in Myka's notebook."

"A pentagram?" She asked. "They're used in summoning things, spirits, demons, relatives; Lupa's circle back in Idaho was an ancient version of one, so it could even be used to summon back the dead." She added. This was a realisation that hit everyone hard; their arch nemesis was going to return if they didn't do something. "But they can't do it." She then quickly added again. "The witch would need to be as strong as me; there isn't a witch on earth other then me that can bring back the dead. Heck, my nose bled after I brought you guys back, it would kill the witch if they could do it!"

"Maybe they intend to." Scott added while in deep thought. "They'd get rid of any way that he could be sent back." That wasn't the only realisation that hit someone.

"This map?" Lupa questioned. "What are you talking about?" She looked to her sister, she only shrugged, then to her brother who seemed nervous and then to her parents that had a guilty look spread all across their faces. It was obvious. "You went Ditori hunting, again!"

"Lupa, it's not what you think…" Scott begged.

"This is ridiculous! You caused this!" She was furious.

"Honey, we may have gone hunting, but we didn't cause this. Do not talk to me like that." Rosie growled temperedly. She glared at her mother, probably for the first time in her life.

"Fighting is not going to fix anything." Scott said after a moment. "None of us caused this, if we didn't go then we wouldn't have found this out and if Dakota didn't extend the suspicions we wouldn't have known at all. This is nobody's fault."

"But what do we do now?" Myka asked.

"What do you think?" Dakota asked back. "We stop them."

"And put my family in danger?" Lupa growled still angrily. "What about Aria? Things have changed now Scott, this is more dangerous now."

"Aria stays in the dark about this, Faolan can take the pups back to your home, stay there and Aria will stay here and out of sight. We can deal with this together before it gets too out of paw."

"She'll know sooner or later dad." Myka added. "Aria will know everything."

"Not if we work together." He responded. "We're stronger together, we've dealt with them before, we can do it again. But only if we stick together."

"Kota, did they say when this was happening?"

"No, but soon, I'm pretty sure they saw me." He answered.

"Then we'll be careful." Scott added. "Son, tell Chance, she'll have to be in on this and Lupa, you tell Faolan and Myka, let Jack know. But not until you get home, we'll meet back here tomorrow to get started on this." Everyone nodded in understanding.

Heading back to the fire, they all acted innocent, even when Chance asked what it was all about. They only answered that it was something she didn't need to worry about and Dakota would tell her later as Lupa would do to Faolan. Aria however, she knew a lie when there was one. Her mother had lied to her constantly who and where her father was, she just knew when someone was lying, and she was seeing it all on her family's face. They were keeping something from her, that much was clear. But it must be nothing; otherwise they'd tell her, right? She was family, and as they've told her in this one family come above all else. They wouldn't leave her hanging and trailing behind.

Anyway, all night she could just tell there was something more serious to what they were talking about. Why was she left out of the loop? Dakota said it was a family talk, so why was she told to stay behind? She was family too! Everyone left rather early; she guessed it was due to tiredness from the day's activities. The pups had pretty much crashed out in the den shortly after eating, so they needed to be home.

That night, the talks were spoken, Chance took the news well, well…when I say "well", she took it as expected. In disbelief and shock. Of course she wanted to help, she was a part of their family and this issue now, she was in it for the ride whether she liked it or not. And she did. He explained to her how most of the time he wasn't around was because he was out Ditori hunting. She wasn't happy, he could have been killed. She settled after a moment and he swore that night he wouldn't keep anything from her again. No more lies.

Jack swore to be with his mate, whether in life or death, he would never leave. He was going to be there with her and her family in this battle. He fought beside her once; he was going to do it again. They were going to have that family they've wanted for a while now, and he was going to protect her until they did.

At the same time, Lupa and Faolan were having the same talk; only things for them were far more serious. He didn't want to leave her, but then he didn't want to leave their pups alone. He couldn't and she refused him to help. What he seemed to be constantly forgetting was that she was already dead. She had no heartbeat, no body warmth, no breath, she didn't eat and she didn't age. She was dead on the inside and alive on the outside. So while her mate grew old and aged, she would stay in her four year old youthful body for the rest of eternity. She made a promise though, the day her mate passing over she would too. She could come and go from the afterlife as she pleases, she'd still be able to see both her mate and living pups.

Trailing off the subject, Faolan wanted to be with her, to help her. Sure, this was a Starnik thing, something he didn't really understand. But he had fought with them once; he wanted to do it again. She refused him to, she couldn't die, she was safe, he wasn't. He had a life he could lose; it was his protective instinct over his mate that forced him to avoid the truth. "It's just the thought of you fighting and I'm not there." He sighed as they sat on the beach outside their den, their forepaws dipped in the water. "I was brought up in war, to fight like a warrior; I can't let you go out there on your own."

"Faolan, I can't die. I have new powers that can help, I'm safer then anyone. It's you I'm worried about."

"But I'll be here." He replied puzzled and tilting his head down to her.

"That's the point." She responded. "You'll be here. They found mom and Scott's den in the valley all those years ago, they found where my mom and dad lived before he died in Jasper, and they found the temple, a place they shouldn't have been able to find. There is nothing to stop them from find this place too." She looked ready to cry. "We have a family now Faolan, I love you too much to lose you again." He leaned down to her and kissed her deeply.

"You won't lose us, remember, I vowed to never leave you, not even in death."

"I know, but I will in life." She sniffed and leaning against his side, coiling her tail around his as they looked back over the lake and the distant mountains. "Shane, Sarah and Kodak come first." She added after a moment. "We needed to find a place where they won't come looking, no place is safe at the moment."

"But where, where is safe from them if they've found everywhere you've hidden?" She looked up to him, she had one place in her mind and it was certainly one place they would never be found. Their safety would be questioned from the place, but they certainly wouldn't be found. He met with her gaze, that looked was all he needed to know exactly where she was thinking. Just to be sure, she shared a mental image of the place. He reeled away from her, shocked she would think that.

"You can't be serious." He seethed.

"It's the only place." She said. He shook his head, refusing to think about going back there, let alone taking his two moons old pups there. He got up, still shaking his head and walked a little distance away. He stood a few wolf lengths from her, his back to her as he tried to get over the fact that in all honesty that place was the safest place for there pups. "It's the safest place for them." She repeated as she stood up, but staying where she was.

"I left that place for you." He growled and looking ahead of him. "I left behind my parents, my little sister; I ignore my powers, all for you and this life. You really expect us to go back?"

"Think about it, they've been hiding there for over three thousand years, where better place to hide."

"I was cast away remember?" He grumbled and turning to face her. "They told me to never return, and I did to try and find you after the Ditori took you. I pushed the boundaries, and you expect me to take our pups there? They're no more in danger here then they are there."

"There must be something you can do." She begged and readying to cry again as she walked back towards him. "There must be some way you can convince them." He turned his back on her again as she stood back in front of him. This was stupid. Shane, Sarah and Kodak were in more danger there in they were here. This was ridiculous, why bother with all of this? Sure, he wanted his pups to be safe, this was probably the only way, but there was still a percentage of danger for them going there. "The Dire Wolves can protect them; they are half Dire Wolf after all. Please Faolan, if not for them, then do it for me." She added and walking in front of him again. He was defeated by the look and begging in her eyes. Her mother instincts were kicking in at an all time high, she had to know her family were safe if she was to do this. With great regret and sorrow, he gave in.

"Not for them." He said. "For you." She couldn't help but smile a little as she leaned up and kissed him deeply again.

"Thank you." She said gratefully.

"I know a few ways that they might let us in, we'll deal with it tomorrow."

Now it was tomorrow, and as everyone promised, the family had gathered back in Scott and Rosie's den at day break. It was ridiculously early; the sun was only just coming up. But it was necessary; Aria wasn't awake yet so it was the perfect time to talk this over. Scott and Rosie were already outside, as were Myka and Jack a along with Dakota and Chance. They only waited for Lupa, but they were in for a surprise. She faded into reality, along with Faolan and their still sleeping pups huddled together at his paws. This was something new, bringing pups into a battle! It didn't go down well.

"Lupa, what's this?" Rosie asked quietly.

"The Ditori have found every place we've ever been to." She answered. "They've found this place, our den back when dad was alive, the SRC and even the temple. Who's to say that they won't again or even find our den right now?" She said.

"You can't bring them here." Dakota added. "It's totally not safe."

"We've got a plan, and you're not going to like it." Faolan answered his eyes set on Myka.

After a terrible amount of quietened arguing and convincing, a plan was made. It was a terrible plan, but a plan nether the less. It was doubtful to work, if it did it would be a miracle, but it was all they could do. The Dire Wolves, Faolan former pack, they were their only hope. They lived in a place they hadn't been found in over three thousand years, this was the safest place there was. But not from the occupants inside. Faolan and his former mater departed on bad terms, this was a low chance of it working. But they had a secret card to play that should even the odds.

Appearing outside the mountain they were hidden in, Faolan, Lupa, Scott, Rosie and Myka appeared. This was ringing back old memories, for all but one anyway. They all looked at the boulder concealing the entrance; this was the moment Faolan had dreaded, returning to this place he left behind. He was actually scared; they could kill him on sight! Well, this brings back memories." Scott chuckled as they looked around.

"Don't remind us." Rosie added as she looked up the daunting mountain.

"Why, have we been here?" Myka asked.

"When I was pregnant with you, yes." Her mother answered. "It's been a long time." This was getting them nowhere.

"Ok, I'll go in and talk to them, I'll howl if it's safe for you to come in."

"Be careful." Lupa kissed his cheek quickly before he walked towards the boulder and started to push it. It was heavier then he remembered and it took a great deal of strength to move it to the side. He had one last look back to his family before he walked inside.

He gulped as he entered the darkness, his body began to shake as he walked down the length of the tunnel, eyeing the symbols carved in by claw along the walls the further down he went. This was a stupid thing do, let alone think. How did he get Lupa to convince him to do this? He could be killed, he could just hope. The light at the end of the tunnel began to glint through and soon he stepped back into the familiar room that was the main dome. The large, domed room with the scriptures to the left on the walls, the sleeping chambers too, the secure dens Scott was once held in, the healing chamber, the archway leading to the Sanctum, and finally the sacrificial chamber. Even the small hole was still in the wall. This was dangerous, he had to be careful. But not so much as he first thought, for the dome was empty. There wasn't a wolf, Dire or not, or a soul around. He reached out his telepathic mind; all minds seemed to be present in the sleeping chambers. It was still early, so there was no surprise. Ok, what was he going to do now? Waking them up would not be a good thing. He could wait for them? What he really need was…

"I know a mind scan when I see one." An incredibly recognisable, rasping voice spoke in the ancient Dire Wolf tongue behind him.

"Oakllwar." Faolan answered as he turned to face the blind, grey and blue furred wolf stepped out of the sanctum. "I still see you haven't lost your touch."

"You are a fool boy." He growled as he neared. "You dare leave your pack, you then add to the horror and become mated with a Starnik and then you dare to return again for Scrying ingredients. Now you come back again."

"I return for forgiveness." Faolan bowed in respect, he had to return to his former Dire Wolf traditions. He was an elder, he had to show respect whether he was his former master or not. Oak stood not far from him, looking down at him with his clouded eyes and sensing what he was doing. "I return for the pack's forgiveness and for a favour."

"A favour?!" He spat loudly. His voice bouncing across the domed room. "After swearing to stay loyal to this pack and then leaving it, you ask for a favour?!"

"And to give you an offer." He added and lifting his head up. "One you can't refuse." Suddenly, there was a great weight on his back that had him pinned to the floor, followed but yet another familiar voice.

Welcome back, brother." The black and grey furred wolf snarled into his ear.

"Tarkeith." Faolan grumbled. It was then that he heard more mumbles, gasps and growls come out of the sleeping chambers behind him. He looked to his left as a figure stepped into his view but keeping his distance from him.

"Faolan?" A young she-wolf's voice asked.

"Natali." Faolan smiled weakly and happy to see her. His little sister, boy she'd grown up a lot, she was around three quarters the size of a normal wolf.

"Tarkeith, get off him!" She growled loudly and charging towards him. She was caught by a much larger wolf, a male with a female behind him. His mother and father. The pack had gathered around him, there was no escaping here. He seethed and groaned as he was able to roll over, taking Tarkeith with him. He was always the stronger and faster of the two. Tarkeith lashed out for his face, Faolan dodged and pinned his paws to the floor and snarled down into his face.

"I came here out of peace!" He shouted in normal wolf speak. "I didn't come here to fight!" He added and quickly jumping off and stepping to the side of his former friend. Tarkeith growled as he slowly crawled to his paws, he too knew Faolan was always the better of the two.

"You are exiled from the pack, and you dared to come back. This time, there will be no forgiveness!" Oak shouted. With a wave of his paw, each wolf around him started to snarl and growl as they crept towards him. He didn't want to, but he had no choice. He threw back his head and howled, he needed help. Just as the giant wolves were upon him and ready to strike, the earth started to tremble as he lowered his head. It shook gently, gradually getting louder and faster as it rumbled. They started to walk away from him, but quickly they jumped back as Lupa appeared beside him, a wild, deathly look in her green eyes.

"Get away from my mate you pathetic wolves!" She snarled.

"The Earth Angel!" Oak gasped and quickly dropping his front half to the floor as a bow out of respect and submission to the almighty being. The earth stopped shaking, but the sense of her presence was all too great. Each wolf copied their leader's actions; if he was bowing to someone then they should to. Even Faolan's parent's bowed to her. The sounds of the earth shaking gently ceased, but her aura was far too great to even be looked up, each wolf diverted their eyes. Natali's mother whispered her to bow, so she did, as did the parents to a few other young pups around and soon all thirty wolves were bowing to her. "Forgive us oh Angel, we beg for your forgive…"

"Oh shut up!" Lupa snarled. He quickly did just that, for once, it was his turn to be afraid of her. "My name is Lupa, daughter of the Starnik and the prophecy of the Earth Angel. If so one of you touches my mate then so help me I will cast you into hell, is that understood?!" Each Dire around her nodded and mumbled their forgiveness, silently praying to the gods that they be spared. Faolan could only watch, now being amused. He looked over to his sister, being the pup she still was she couldn't help but look up to see him smiling. He waved for he to come over, and she did, tail wagging and tongue flopping out to the side as he caught her against his chest, chuckling a little to himself.

"You came back." She giggled quietly.

"I told you I would."

"Arise." Lupa demanded, so they did, but avoiding her eye contact of she looked at one of them. "Speak." She hated this, but once again she found her inner god taking control of her.

"Forgive us, we are your servants." Lupa shook her head, trying to clear the angel out of her. She didn't want them doing this but for some reason it was beginning to feel natural, she was starting to enjoy it and she didn't want to.

"We have come to make a deal." She said after a moment and Faolan put down his sister. "The ones that slaughtered your kind three millennia ago, they are back and after my family. I want you to take them in and protect them."

"But they're Starnik." Oak dared to retaliate.

"Not my parents, my pups." She snapped back at him. "Faolan and I have had pups, the humans that made your kind extinct all those years ago are putting them in danger. As half Dire Wolf, it is you responsibility to take them in as your own and protect them, is it not?" It was tradition, Dire Wolves look after their own, and in these times it was vital they do that.

"Yes, it is." Oak nodded.

"Then you will take them, Faolan also until it is once again safe for them."

"Shaman, we've also come with a gift." Faolan added and letting his sister return back to their parents. "The one thing that all Shamans desire, the one ingredient that can never be found. We have it and are willing to offer it to you." If his eyes weren't so grey, they'd most defiantly see some sort or disbelief in them.

A couple of minutes later, Myka was sat back on her haunches, her right forepaw held out as Faolan squeezed juices from a clump of leaved over her wrist. Scott and Rosie sat either side of them while Lupa returned home to talk to her pups so they could understand what was going to happen. They were all in the Sanctum; they had the room to themselves for the time being. But in the mean time, that offer needed to be fulfilled. "Remind me, why I'm doing this again?" Myka gulped as she prepared for what was to come.

"Blood of the Starnik..." Oak answered as he watched Faolan perform the task. His size was so daunting to them, he was enormous, nearly the size of a human. "An ingredient many Shamans like I desire, something that can be used in the most difficult of rituals and potions. Obviously, that chance never came alone."

"But I'm not the Starnik, they are." She pointed with her spare paw to he mother and father."

"You're a direct descendent of them both, your blood is concentrated far greatly and would provide a better potion." Faolan chuckled as he dropped rubbed in the fluids made from the leaves into her fur and skin. He did this for a moment before flexing his paws and holding them over her wrist. "This'll only hurt a bit." She gulped and nodded before he quickly ran his claws over her wrist. She seethed and groaned loudly as Faolan quickly twisted her wrist upside down to let her rapidly flowing blood drip into the small cut out bowl beneath it. It tapped with each drop that fell, it was a good thing her mother was here, she couldn't self-heal or heal it herself.

"And the point of the leaves was for what?" Myka asked as she started to get used to the constant pain he lied about.

"It was to keep it flowing and fresh, to stop it healing over."

"Great." She sighed and rolling her eyes.

"Don't worry sweetheart, I'm right here." Rosie giggled. She took a moment to look up to the elder standing over them. As much as she still hated the Dire Wolf, she had to speak her mind.

"Thank you." She dipped her head thankfully. "Thank you for everything you've done for us."

"You're our cousins, Starnik or not, we provide what we can." He smiled weakly before walking away and out the sanctum. Faolan watched him leave, only to also see Natali galloping in happily with their parents standing in the archway behind her. He gestured for her to go to the pool and that's were they met while he washed his paws.

"Look at you, getting big now." He chuckled as he scrubbed his paws.

"I'll be bigger then you one day." She smirked and grinding her side against his playfully. "Did Tarkeith hurt you?" She asked this time while sitting beside him and taking a far more serious tone.

"Please." She scoffed. "Like he could hurt me." She giggled at him, her brother was funny. He waved his paws quickly to get rid of the water, chuckling deeply himself as he looked back at his mother and father still standing in the archway watching them.

"How are mom and dad?" He asked going back into their ancient language.

"They're ok, why do you ask?"

"Are they still angry with me?" He sounded nervous, she picked up on that.

"Dad, a little bit, mom, not so much. She still talks about you a lot, dad doesn't though."

"I didn't think so." He sighed.

"They're scared of your mate more then anything." She then added and laughing a little bit, it made him also laugh. "Is it true, you have pups?"

"I do, two and a half moons old. Your nephews."

"I'm an aunt?" She asked. "For real?"

"For real." He chuckled again. "And mom and dad are grandparents now."

"You make me sound old." An older female giggled delicately. Their mother stood over them; Faolan was only just half the size of her, a Dire Wolf fully ages around four years old so it was strange. "Hello Faolan." She smiled.

"Hi mom." He dipped his head in respect to his mother. She lifted it with her muzzle. "I'm sorry mom." He averted his eyes from her.

"It's good to have you back Faolan." She responded instead with watery eyes. She licked his cheek and nuzzled his neck affectionately. Myka, Scott and Rosie watched on in wonder. It was a lovely thing to see. Myka was no longer watching how much her paw was bleeding, she didn't feel a thing. It was then that they all hurt a sudden amount of noise that could only be one thing. Lupa was stood with her pus around her ankles, asking the obvious questions. Where were they? Who was that? What is that? And so on… He quickly jumped to his paws, nuzzled his mate as he reached her and stood beside her.

"Mom, Natali, these are my children, Shane, Kodak and Sarah." He pointed to each one of them. "Mom, meet your grand-pups."

"Oh Faolan, they're so sweet." She cooed as she walked towards them. Clearly her colossal size forced them to retreat under their legs and hide. It only made them all laugh; these next few days should be interesting.


	11. Chapter 11 Explanations

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 11: Explanations

Waking up from the constant talking going on outside, Aria was curious as the why there were so many voices going on outside. She yawned as she flicked off the cover from the bed and swivelled around to put her shoes on. She looked up at the den entrance as she did, seeing nobody out there. They must have been around the corner. And that's where she found the voices; all but two of the family were outside and just to the left of the den. Lupa and Faolan along with their pups seemed to be the only ones absent. But other then that, her father, step-mother, sister and her mate, step brother and his mate was here. But why, what was this gathering all about? Why wasn't she woken up? Scott looked up to see her stepping out of the den and stretching briefly, giving him a opportunity to warn the others who hadn't seen her and ask them to not give anything away before looking back up to her.

"Morning honey." He smiled as she turned and walked towards her. She yawned once again before turning to face him.

"Good morning dad. Why's everyone here?" She asked puzzled. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her a little further away from them and towards the rise in front of the den.

"We're just having a little gathering; we've got some things we need to do this morning."

"Well…can I come?" Was she going to be left behind? He shook his head.

"You won't understand, this is something you can't help with, you haven't been in my life long enough to know yet."

"Ok, but where are you going?" She asked, feeling her own human gut feelings tingling at the presence of a lie in his voice.

"Just to visit some friends, to get some things sorted and we'll be back home."

Rosie saw the look on Aria's face, the look of boredom that she'd be left here on her own. _"Poor girl, she keeps getting left behind."_ She turned to her youngest daughter. "Myka, I want you to stay here with Aria." Myka's eyes widened.

"What? Why, why me?" She nearly yelled. "Get Lupa or Dakota to do it, send her to the Dire Wolves with them or something." She retaliated.

"Myka, I'm warning you." She growled. "You will stay here with your sister and keep her occupied."

"Besides, she's your sister." Dakota added. "She's not mine, there's not a drop of blood that we share." Chance nudged his hard.

"Not helping." She whispered.

"Myka, I'm not asking, I'm telling." Her mother added after giving Dakota a hard glare. "You need to grow up and act like a she-wolf, not a pup." Myka sighed again.

"Fine." She said hotly. Rosie eased up a little and re-composed herself.

"Good, teach her how to use her powers better, that'll keep her occupied." It was then the Lupa faded in beside her mother, a worried expression spread across her face.

"How did it go with the Dires?" Chance asked.

"Good, they won't be going against me ever again that's for sure." She smiled feebly.

"But…?" Jack asked, sensing there was something else. She sighed.

"But I'm still worried something will happen to the all." She lowered her head. "I mean, Faolan was an outcast and my pups are part Starnik. They are everything that pack hates."

"They'll be fine." Her mother said soothingly. "Nothing will happen to them." It was then that Scott approached, leaving Aria by the rise of the den.

"Are we ready to go?" Rosie nodded.

"Myka has kindly offered to stay behind to keep Aria occupied." Myka couldn't help but let out a soft growl. Thankful nobody heard it though.

"Really?" He sounded surprised. "Thanks baby girl." He knelt down and kissed her cheek, this time her heard her growl but laughed it off.

"I'll stay too." Jack added. "I'll keep them both occupied."

"Good idea." Lupa agreed. "Now let's go already, I want to get this over and done with."

So, with Myka and Jack going one way and the others going the other, the plans were set. "Kota, tell us everything you know." Scott said as they started walking. Being the only one to take this further, Dakota knew far more then the others did.

"There's the field with the pentagram, the guy they keep calling Charlie Norton and then…" They were still walking into the forest and away from the den as he thought back to one other thing.

"And?" Lupa asked.

"There's this girl?"

"What girl?" Chance quickly asked and narrowing her eyes at him.

"This human girl…" He answered, she relaxed a little again. "Back when I went to check out that house again, she saw me but didn't say a word." This took them by surprise. What member of the Ditori wouldn't warn the others? "Then there was also the other night when I went to the clearing. She saw me but didn't say a word; she even tried to keep them away from me."

"We need to find her." Chance said. "If she's not with them then she might be able to help us." Rosie nodded in agreement.

"We'll split up, Dakota, Scott and I will go to and find this girl, while you two see what you can find about this Charlie person." They all understood.

"Where do we begin?" Lupa asked. "This guy could be anywhere. He could be dangerous."

"I remember seeing an address on that wardrobe, go and check that place out." Dakota answered.

She was taking a risk, it was a protocol now to never go anywhere outside the safe-houses alone. Yet she was no ordinary person. Stephanie wanted to take some time away from the men she was constantly around. She maybe working for these people, but she liked her alone time. She hasn't seen another woman working with this organisation in months. She began to wonder if there was anymore. She was supposed to wait until later, but she couldn't wait, she needed to get some fresh air around the men. She drove in their SUV down the beaten track through the trees, heading back towards that place they needed to keep protected. Their numbers were increasing by the day, more of their destroyed organisation re-grouped in one place each day, their numbers expanding to nearly fifty, all that was left of them now.

It was playing safe to check this place each day, but not checking it alone, that was far more dangerous now that the Starnik knew of this place. Yet it had to be done. The last set of bushes came in sight; she picked up her speed and crashed through them and into the large clearing. She quickly stopped as not to run over and ruin the pentagram, nothing could destroy it. She switched off the engine and stepped out the car, shutting it behind her and sighed as she looked around, run a hand through her short-ish brown hair while she looked around. All clear, nothing alive in sight. But she had to be sure. She walked out a little distance and knelt down, exhaling loudly as she closed her eyes, smacked her lips and waited. But then she saw something, something that had happened hear earlier today. She clenched her eyes as she wondered who it was. But as she fiddled more with what had already occurred here today, brought soon saw that same wolf running up behind her. She opened her eyes, whirled around, but not fast enough to stop Dakota running into her chest and knocking her back. He jumped off her and she tried to stand up. Scott then came running towards her, his arm drawn back with a loaded arrowed in his bow. "Don't move." He ordered as Rosie came to his side.

"I'm un-armed." She flicked open the insides of her thin jacket and showed there was no hidden gun there. "Please, I don't mean any harm." She was genuinely scared, but Scott didn't show mercy, he kept the arrow on her.

"Who are you, what's you're business here?" Rosie asked.

"My name's Stephanie, please, I didn't come here to hurt anyone." She was terrified; she was ready to cry with the fear racking her body. Rosie saw this and budged her mate and shook her head. He nodded, but still slightly reluctant he lowered his bow. He still had plans for her though. She was Ditori, this day ended in one way ad one way only.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about me?" Dakota asked and coming towards her from the side. She still lay in her back, keeping her hands in sight of everyone. Stephanie looked to him, still fearful of her life. "You saw me in the house the other day, you knew I was here. Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"It…It's not what I do." She stuttered. "I just tell them what's happened and that's it."

"How do you do that?" Rosie asked demandingly. "Tell us what you do?" Scott picked her up by her arm and sat her against the hood of the car; she was pathetic looking lying how she was. So submissive. She still had a frantic look in her eyes. She gulped before speaking.

"I can see what has happened here in the last week by touch." She answered.

"That doesn't make any sense." Dakota responded.

"It's like CCTV, a camera. Everything I touch is like a camera in my eyes; I can see what has happened in the area in the last week by touching it." She said simpler. "That's all I do. I come here and see if anyone's been here to disturb anything."

"That's all?" Scott questioned, there had to be more to this girl then she was letting on.

"It still doesn't explain why you didn't say anything when you saw me." Dakota added.

"It's not what we do." She answered. Scott and Rosie looked at each other, what was she talking about?

"Wait, what exactly do you think you're doing?" Rosie asked curiously.

"I'm helping some people bring their friend back from the dead." She answered.

Meanwhile, Lupa and Chance faded into the town where Dakota suggested looking. The address wasn't great to lock in on for Lupa to go to, but the city was a good place to begin. The plan was they'd go to the city and find the home by asking around and searching. Sure, it may take a while, but it was necessary.

"You know, I've just thought of something." Chance said.

"What's that?" Lupa asked.

"We've never had a chance to talk like this, just me and my sister-in-law." Lupa giggled a little.

"Well, seeing as we've only known each other for a few months, and with everything that's happened, who could blame us." Chance couldn't help but agree and laugh, but slowly let it fade into silence which Lupa notice as well as sensing something else. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Do you think Dakota and I are going to fast?" She asked as they walked among the humans, some staring and wondering what they were doing, but the she-wolves didn't pay them any attention.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…we've known each other only for four months, and here we are, married and wanting to have a family. Sometimes I just think that this is happening to fast. After all, we got married only a day after we met."

"Ok, A. he did that to help you, I don't think he realised it until afterwards." Lupa responded. "And B. there is nothing abnormal with things going fast in this family. Anyway, Dakota and I were born only eight months after mom and dad first met, and Myka was conceived only three months after mom and Scott got together."

"That I never knew." She smiled feebly.

"He never told you? It's no family secret."

"Nope, never. So, you don't think so?"

"Personally, I don't think so. But it's not up to me or anyone else. I know you both want a family. If that's what you want then don't let anyone stop you."

"Thanks, I think that's helped." Chance replied a little happier and lifting her head a littler higher.

"Good, now come on, let's find this…" She never got to finish until a woman walked into them both and knocking herself over. She was carrying several shopping bags, which fell with her. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you." Lupa said and helping her back up. This woman had long black hair, a rather pale face, but seemed friendly enough because she was laughing.

"Don't worry." She laughed. "I'm clumsy, I didn't see you either." She started to gather her things as Lupa and Chance began to make their way onwards down the street. But they needed to find this address, they weren't going to find it by walking around, it would take forever. So Chance turned back to the woman.

"Hi, it's us again." She said friendly. "We were wondering if you could help."

"Help the first wolves that have probably ever been in this city? Of course." She smiled. "How can I help?"

"We're looking for St. Louis Park, have you heard of it?" Lupa asked as she joined Chance's side.

"Of course, I live there." She nodded. "Just followed this road straight down, don't turn off anywhere and it'll lead you straight there."

"Thank you so much, I'm Lupa and this is Chance." The woman picked up her bags and smiled again.

"I'm Charlie; it's good to meet you ladies." She smiled, but the she-wolf's faces only dropped and became confused. What are the chances? And how? A girl called Charlie that lived on the same street as the person they were looking for. But Charlie, it was a male's name, not a girl's. But this couldn't be coincidental. Chance took the chance while she could to use her vision and see what was in the bags. They weren't for shopping that's for sure. It was full of herbs, measure instruments, strange looking weeds and sticks. No clothes what so ever. "Have a good one girls." She smiled once more before walking away. Chance looked to Lupa.

"Do you think…?"

"That's Charlie." Lupa nodded.

"Her bags were full of things I'd expect Myka to have, she's got to be the person the Ditori were talking about."

Back over in South Dakota, pieces of this puzzle were being put together. This girl seemed to be caught up in something she didn't know anything about. She must have been recently recruited to help them, but told her as little as they needed. She even confirmed it, she knew there was more to what they were planning, but she didn't understand. "So, hang on…what do know about the Ditori?" Scott asked as he tried to get his head around all this. This girl was no danger to them, that much was certain. She had relaxed a little more, but she was still tense as she sat on the car hood.

"They're government group that was disbanded by the president; their section was shut down or something." She answered. "Daniel, the really big guy…" She said looking down to Dakota. "…was an ex marine, he was brought in to the organisation a few years back and made a high ranking commander or something. When they were disbanded and their leader was murdered, he started gathering his old team to bring his boss back to life and get the section up and running again."

"So, how do you play in all this?" Rosie asked. "How did they find you?"

"They came to me asking for my help to bring back their friend, I soon found out it was their leader. I was working in security for some crappy company; it was a good thing to do at the time." She chuckled lightly. "So anyway, they somehow found out my power and they said they'd offer me a job and pay me more then what I was already earning. So I took it." Scott scoffed.

"What they told you is absolute bullshit." He wanted to laugh. The Ditori were nothing but lie. In fact, they were lies…built on top of lies, and buried under more lies.

"The Ditori are ruthless, sick people." Rosie said and taking a more calm approach of communication. "Their leader was a man called Sam, he was the most twisted one of them all, he did disgusting things. That's the man they want to bring back."

"The Ditori are wolf killers." Dakota added. "They don't work for the president or the human government, they are their own boss. A secret organisation that is devoted to killing every wolf on earth. They want to make us all extinct."

"No…" Stephanie wanted to laugh, this can't be true. "That's not it, they said…"

"What they said isn't true." Scott said. "We killed Sam, we fought them for years, heck, they've even killed us once before."

"Twice in my daughter's case." Rosie added.

"The point being…" Dakota continued after seeing that this was going in circles. "What they told you was a lie, nothing they said was true." Stephanie couldn't believe this. All this time, she's been working with maniacs, with murderers that won't stop at anything to get what they want. She knew she shouldn't have agreed to help them, she was stupid.

"I can't stay there." She said after reeling back out of her thoughts. "I've got to get away." She slid off the hood ad got to her feet.

"You can't." Scott replied. "Once you're in their system, there's no getting out. They will find you and kill you, no matter what you say or not at all."

"Then what do I do? I can't stay with them." She asked and clearly freaking out.

"I say you go back." Dakota answered after a moment of thinking.

"You can't be serious." Rosie responded.

"Deadly, mom. Think about it, she's with us now, she can get us information that we can't get. Like when they're going to do this. She can help us."

Rosie looked up to the human, still sceptical. She could just be a very good liar or actress. "Can you?"

"You want me to go back? After everything you've just told me? No way!" She refused.

"You don't have a choice." Scott added. "If you go back there, carry on like nothing ever happened and go along with everything. We will promise you that you'll be safe, but you'll need to tell us everything you know." She was reluctant. After everything she had just heard from them and about her employer, and they wanted her to go back! They must be out of their minds. But she also remembered what they told her about never getting away from them. She was forever apart of the Ditori, unless she worked with the Starnik. So reluctantly, she nodded.

"Ok, I'll tell you everything."

CRASH, BANG, WOLLOP…SMASH, THUD and once again…SMACK. Aria's attempts to jump to high places weren't going so well, and it all ended like it just did. She fell to the ground, not just with the force of gravity, but with the force of her power. So all in all, it hurt, A LOT. She groaned and cried out a little as she brought her arms underneath her. This wasn't working, each time she jumped, either nothing would happen or she would suddenly be thrown left or right as she lost concentration for a split second. It was like she was on wires; something would just jerk her to the side or straight back down as she tried. Myka set a simple goal, jump to the top of the den, merely six feet which she accomplished with ease. She could just about jump twenty feet if she so wished. So right now, she lay looking down at her half sister with a very amused grin. Her tail even wagged at the hilarious sight. So she wasn't such a fast learner after all. But then again, Myka didn't even master it for three days. But she was trying the quick way of doing it, a different way to how her father taught her.

But why was Aria not getting the hang of it? What was so hard about it? Jack finally lost it and had to step in. "Myka, she's not getting the hang of this." He said while getting up from his lying position inside the mouth of the den in the shade. "There has to be some other way." She added as he helped Aria onto her knees.

"It didn't take me a few hours to learn how to do it, so she won't either." She replied. "It's all about practise."

"Well this "practise" is giving me bruises." Aria seethed as she felt one starting in her lower back.

"Isn't there something you can do?" Jack asked. "A spell or something?" Myka wondered, was there a way she could teach her without actually having to say no more then a few words? Maybe there was. She stood up and walked around the den and back down to them. She placed her paw on Aria's back where the bruise was developing and began to heal it for her. Obviously, Aria seethed over it. It made her wonder why her own self healing wasn't starting, it did last time. Maybe because Myka didn't wait long enough. That had to be it. She finished soon enough and the pain subsided, but Myka wasn't finished.

"The power within is a gift we share…" She rolled her eyes at the mention of this first part of the spell. "Switch this knowledge through the air." She the placed her paw on her sister's head. "Give her what she needs, in hope that she may succeed." Her eyes flashed and her paw transferred the knowledge she wanted through her and into Aria. Before her very eyes, Aria began to see and understand what she had to do.

"Myka…I don't think that…" Jack was silenced when Myka shushed him; she was concentrating and did need him talking right now. After a while, Myka removed her paw and Aria opened her eyes, blinking a couple of times to clear them and understand what just happened. She knew new things, she understood.

"Now try again." Myka and Jack stepped out the way and Aria crawled to her feet. She looked up to the top of the den, feeling far more confident then she was not a few seconds ago. She clenched and relaxed her fists as she went though what Myka taught and gave to her. She bent her legs, readying to jump, she waited, she built the energy, and then she jumped. She went up into the air; she flew up and towards the den roof. Myka was amazed, but annoyed, she was finally getting it. Or so she thought. Soon she screamed as she fell back to the ground, falling a full six feet back in front of the den entrance and beginning to groan in pain.

"Like I was trying to say." Jack said. "She can have the knowledge, but she'll need the practise and experience to be great." Myka scowled at him a little right before Dakota re-appeared with the rest of the family. She approached them before they came within earshot of Aria, quickly being asked by her father as he changed.

"What happened here?"

"She was practising jumping and she fell. She'll get the hang of it soon enough." She responded as Scott went to care for his first daughter. "How did it go with you guys? Did you find anything?" Rosie only shook her head and scoffed loudly.

"Oh where do we begin?"

"First off, we now have someone on the inside, a girl called Stephanie." Dakota answered. "She's a supernatural; they tricked her into working with them. She wants to help us."

"There's also the witch that's going to bring Sam back." Chance added. "It's not a guy, Charlie's a girl, and her bags were full of things I've only seen you and Faolan use."

"And I missed it all." She sighed. "You've had more fun then me." She looked back to Aria and Scott as he examined a small cut on her fore arm from where she landed on a stick from the extinguished fire pit. Surprisingly, once again it didn't heal. Rosie walked around to join them and heal with it while the kids continued.

"You haven't missed a thing." Lupa responded. "Nothing interesting happened."

"What else did you find out?" Jack asked as he joined them.

"The ritual is taking place tomorrow night." Dakota answered. "But we're going to stop it."

"You'll be going this time, so don't worry. I'm staying to watch Aria this time." Chance added.

"At day break tomorrow, we're going to the safe-house they're held up at to deal with them." Lupa added. "While you guys are doing that, I'm going to find Charlie and bring her here to keep her safe, just in case. We can't le them get to her before us, if they do then it's over and they'll be able to bring back Sam."

"I still don't understand how though." Myka said and trying to figure it out herself. "I was only just powerful enough to bring you back with a spell. This girl is a common witch, how will she?"

"We don't know either, but se might have a few tricks you don't know about." Dakota replied. "We can find that out tomorrow."

**Big things and big lies. What will happen next? And just so nobody asks, Charlie can be a girl's name, I've got a girl called Charlie. Aria's growing suspicious, will she figure out what her family is hiding from her? Will she discover what her family have done in the past and who they really are? Stick around and you'll find out. Until next time. :)**

**The FalconWolf**


	12. Chapter 12 Secrets of the Family

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 12: Secrets of the Family

Aria was certain that this side of her family were keeping something from her, something, how else could you explain the reason why they keep going out to visit "friends"? Or their mysterious behaviour and the obvious lies they keep telling her. She knew how to recognise lies; she had picked up on the ones her mother always gave to her each time Aria asked about her father, these wolves were all giving off the same vibes and impressions. But what was it they were keeping from her? They were her family; surely they'd tell her everything, right? As her father always told her, "family comes first and nothing is more important", if this was true they wouldn't keep her out of any loop they might have been hiding from her. Surely not.

Still, nothing could explain their strange behaviour. Like the conversations they would all have without her, or the reasons that didn't makes sense as to why she wasn't a part of them. They were hiding something; she wanted to make sure of it. The rest of the day after they all returned back to the den, they had more of those talks that she wasn't invited to listen in on. She could see how serious it seems, obviously, wherever it was they went, they weren't visiting friends. As the night drew into a close, their acting didn't stop. She still witnessed the same signs of a lie that her mother gave her each time she wanted to know about her father. They were adding more lies to the lies they were feeding her, and she grew more sceptical as the darkness roamed over head and everyone returned to their homes. She over heard a part of a conversation they all had earlier, something about them all meeting up again the next morning. What were they going to do? She had to find out.

She woke up during the night, nothing woke her, she just happened to wake up. She put her elbows under her and with squinted eyes she looked around. The lantern beside her bed gave off some little light to allow her to see. On the middle of the den her father and step-mother lay spooning with each other, he behind her. She looked at them, wondering how she could get the reasons behind their mysteriousness without alerting them. It was then an idea struck her, an experiment. She pulled the cover off her and she swivelled around and placed her feet on the floor. Rosie twitched at the small noise she made, but she stayed asleep. She waited to be certain before she pushed herself up and started creeping towards them. She tip-toed, using her light body weight to move in closer to them. She was still clumsy; she didn't see the book on the floor which made her stumble. Rosie lifted her head this time at the louder noise, her eyes half open. Aria froze; Rosie looked around, in a daze, not one hundred percent there or even there at all. Soon though, she dropped her head and fell back to sleep, letting Aria breathe again and looked down. A book, out of all the things here, this was the only book around. For some reason it made her curious, so she picked it and held on tight to it as she knelt down behind her father's head. He snored a little, proving her was completely out of it. She smacked her lips as she sat on her heels and gently placed her hand on his head and closed her eyes. Like her father told her, she built a psychic bridge and entered his mind, letting hers and his merge. "South Dakota", those words were the first thing she saw, a clearing in the middle of the woods, a woman, his bow…blood…guns, fighting, war, screams, cries, massacre! The longer she held onto him the more she began to see, the more she began to see what he had seen. She couldn't last more then a few moments and quickly she pulled her hand away, her eyes darting around as she looked down at him. What did she just see? What has he seen? What has he done? Why has he seen that? Who was he really? Who were the Starnik?

She didn't go back to sleep that night, she tried but she couldn't get those horrific images out of her mind. As the sun started to rise over the distant mountains and shine through the trees, she was sat with her feet over that cliff she knew of that Myka brought her to a few days ago. She thought a walk would help, it didn't. Instead she only found herself thinking more about it. She looked down the length of the long Valley before her, seeing the rising sun reflecting off the water of the stream that flowed down the entire length of it. She remembered that book she trod on, the book she's had in her hand yet didn't appear to notice it until just now.

She looked at it before opening it, each page was listed with names, addresses, numbers, most of them crossed out. Why, why did they have this? What was it? She began to worry, who were her family. She had only one day left to figure this out, one day before her flight back home. She wasn't going to leave with bad impressions of her family she wanted to know the truth. She had a day and a half; her flight was at mid-afternoon tomorrow.

An hour later, Scott padded out of his den, yawning as he stretched his chest forward and groaned in the morning rays. He looked to the right and towards the gentle slope that led to the Valley, Aria was walking towards him. He smiled and jumped back onto his hind legs and changed. "Morning honey. Sleep well?" She shook her head.

"Not really. I've been up for nearly three hours so I went for a walk." She didn't look at him, she couldn't. He sensed this and something else wrong with her. She walked passed him and leaned back against the den entrance.

"What's bothering you baby?" He asked caringly and leaning beside her.

"Nothing, just a bad dream." He knew better, although he may not have been around to see Myka grow up, he knew there was something else to this. But he went along with it, if she didn't want to talk about it then that was fine with him, he wasn't going to force her.

"Ok then." He smiled. "What time is your flight tomorrow?"

"3:47." She answered.

"In that case, this afternoon we're going to have some fun." He sounded so sure. But…

"Why this afternoon?" She looked up to him out the corner of her eye. "Why not this morning?" He saw something on her that suggested she was growing suspicious; it was going to be a problem soon if he wasn't careful.

"We got some more things to take care of, we just need to…"

"Visit a few friends." She finished for him.

"Not quite." He chuckled. "Before you came things were hectic, we just need to clear the aftermath up before we can really relax and have some fun."

"And you'll be done before mid-day?"

"Of course, nothing will get in the way."

"You promise?" She turned to him and held up her little finger, he knew this and grinned and took his own and locked them together.

"I promise, nothing will come between us, ever."

She smiled, this time she didn't see a lie, he was really being honest. Ok, so maybe she didn't need to be so sceptical about whom he was. She was tired when she saw all that, it had to be her mind playing with her. As the morning started to wear on, Rosie was up and with the two hours since Scott was up, Jack, Myka, Lupa, Dakota and Chance had all once again gathered in the same place as yesterday, outside the den. Aria still had her suspicions, why did all these wolves have to go with Scott? Surely only one or three people were needed for this. Anyway, everyone was tired, everyone desired their beds; they wanted this over and done with. Aria sat with her feet dangling over the small rise and looked down the eight feet drop while the others gathered before the mouth of the den, once again having a conversation she wasn't invited to. She looked back at them all, seeing that actually none of their mouths were moving, yet they nodded and looked like they were. She turned her head to the side and opened her mind towards them, hearing that in fact they were having some kind of mental conversation.

"Chance, you're watching Aria." Scott said. "Keep her occupied; I don't want her guessing anything."

"Got it." She replied.

"We'll give you the heads up when we're coming back; we might be a little messy." Rosie added. Aria whizzed her head back around as she saw them look in her direction. "Messy"? What were they talking about? It was then she sensed a mind approaching her from behind and soon Scott sat beside her.

"We'll be back soon." He said lovingly. "I promise we'll have the rest of the day together."

"I'm keeping you to your word." She replied.

"I always keep my promises." He put a paw around her shoulders and pulled her towards him so he could kiss her cheek. "I love you Aria, be good." She looked at him and couldn't help but smile at her furry father.

"I love you too dad." She kissed her a second time before walking back to the others, changing on the way.

"Ok, Chance, she's ready." He said to her as he walked into the den to collect his bow and arrows. She kissed her mate and pleaded he was careful, which he promised, before she walked towards the human she was pup-sitting today. When Scott came out, they started walking around the den to get away and talk over.

"The place will be full, but they won't be ready for us." Lupa said.

"We stay together, keep it tight and look out for each other." Rosie added. "Everything will be fine."

"Stephanie shouldn't be in there, if she is then watch out for her." Dakota added further.

"You know where to go buddy." Scott said as he removed his bow and took an arrow in his other hand. "When you're ready." To find the location of the safe-house, it was another case Rosie rummaging through the human girl's mind for a safe place to land and then passing it over to her son and daughter to get them there. They stopped, Dakota eye's flashed and Lupa faded away, but all together, the seven of them appeared where they should be.

They didn't know where they were; just that the safe-house was around this shed they were behind. They looked around it, careful not to be seen. This place wasn't a safe-house, it wasn't even a house! It was the start to a woodland; just through the trees they could see some kind of large camp. Fires spread around, sheets of tarpaulin made tattered tents, men and women walked around with guns and some not, pipes, wood and plastic sheets made small places to hide from the rain. It was a camp more then anything. Nowhere to hide and no-where to run.

"This is it?" Jack asked.

"I thought it would be a warehouse or something." Myka added.

"We've gone through all their hiding places; where else would they have to go?" Scott said as they looked around, taking in a quick lay of the land and all the places they could use for cover and use as an advantage. He took that arrow and clipped it to the string of the bow. "Come on; let's finish this once and for all." He stepped up and around, the other following right behind and beside him. Quickly, screams, cries, gunshots and wails flowed with the wind out of the forest, a bloody after math soon to follow.

Back by the den, Aria was getting to know the she-wolf babysitting her, even though Chance denied she was, she had to soon face the fact she was indeed babysitting her. Still, she wasn't going to let this morning be a boring one, she wanted some fun, she hasn't had the time to see Aria much, heck, Aria had already forgotten her name. So to make the morning a little more fun, Chance was genuinely intrigued to know more about her and her life without Scott. Aria gave her the short and sweet version before starting on her own questions as they walked through the long grass of the Valley. "So who are the friends my dad keeps going to see?" Aria asked as she jumped onto a rock to get a slightly higher look over the grass. "You've gone with them, so you should know."

"I do." Chance answered a she stood beside the rock. "They're some people your family once quarrelled with, now they're just settling the dust between them so to speak. They're coming to a final agreement this morning." Aria jumped down, skilfully balancing on a log, laid on the other side of the rock, and stretching her arms outwards to balance herself.

"And you're a part of it?"

"Sort of, I only met Dakota a few months ago. It was pretty much love at first sight to be honest and as a result I was brought into this fight."

"That must have sucked." Aria replied.

"I didn't last long, sure there might have been a few times where I regretted it, but now it's nearly over. We can be happy about that now."

"I hope so." Aria lost her concentration enough to slip, the slid off the left of the log, to the ground and ended up cut a large gash across the palm of her left hand as she tried to grab something to keep her up. She seethed loudly from the stinging. Chance was quick to jump over and help her.

"Let me have a look." She took her hand in her paws. "A couple of splinters in it, you'll live."

"There's tweezers back at the den, we can use those." Aria got to her feet and the two turned around to make back for the den

Meanwhile, a woman peeked out over a wooden wind break, all around her the bodies of her comrades and friends lay littering the woodland floor. Before her, a man with an arrow going in one side of his head and coming out the other. Above her, another man who was thrown into the air and impaled on a tree branch, now dripping blood onto the forest floor. She was panicking, she wanted to cry, but she had to be silent, the Starnik were still around. The cars, the vehicles nobody was able to reach in time were in her sights. She could make it if she ran. So she did, she braved it and ran. But suddenly, a loud howl boomed towards her and she was catapulted like the man she watched into the air and into the side of a tree, the force enough to not only render her unconscious, but she broke her spine and neck to die later on from her wounds.

Dakota checked her, she was dead, the last of them finally dead. Stephanie wasn't around, and annoyingly neither was that man he also saw, their leader. This wasn't good; if their leader wasn't here then surely he was out doing something else. It wasn't good, each one of them needed to be put down. The ritual was happening tonight, he was certainly going to be there to greet his former leader again should he return. "She's dead." Dakota confirmed as he walked back to the others. Scott was a rather bloody mess, a little accident that involved him driving an arrow into the ribs of a man and a "little" blood leaked onto him. The rest of the wolves had it covering their muzzles and paws from the amount of biting and slicing they had been doing. They were going to have to wash before Aria found this.

"That's not all of them though." Myka added. "What about that leader you told us about? I didn't see him."

"Neither did I." Lupa added. "He's got to be out there somewhere."

"If he's not here, he'll be at the ritual tonight." Rosie added.

"Or…" Scott started as something came to his realisation.

"Or what?" Jack asked.

"Or…he's gone for the witch." God, how stupid were they all?! He's gone to get the witch, Dakota remembers him saying that their next objective was to get the witch; they should have brought her in to keep her away from them before it was too late.

"Myka, head back home and warn Chance we'll be back soon." Rosie pretty much ordered. "Scott and I will tidy up here and you three will go and get the witch." She added while looking towards Dakota, Lupa and Jack.

"Go now, we've got to be quick." Scott turned around with his mate, Myka recited her spell and vanished in green light while Dakota did the same with Jack and Lupa faded away with them.

Chance and Aria approached them den the fire of the den still smoking slightly from the small fire they had going this morning for a cooked breakfast. So the embers would still be there. Aria held up her hand, her blood starting to drip every now and then as they walked. "Go and find the tweezers." Chance told her. "I'll go and get you some water to clean it out with." Aria nodded as she walked into the den and Chance walked back the way they came to collect some water. Aria remained confused for the forty five minutes they had been walking, why wasn't she healing like she did when she cut herself a few days ago? This didn't make any sense; her powers didn't make any sense. How could she self-heal one moment and not the next? Anyway, she found the tweezers and headed back outside and sat on the floor by the fire pit. It was a little cold, so she focused onto the fire and tried what she tried once before. Her eyes flashed green and the fire began to spark until it began to catch on the remaining sticks that were already in there. She smiled to herself; she was getting the hang of it.

She then turned her attention back to her hand, and as she moved in to pluck out the splinters, that's when she felt a rush of heat sweep over her palm and she witnessed that same magical, green flame poke out of her skin and begin to danced back and forth around the long wound across her hand. She wasn't doing anything, she didn't have to. But why were this happening now and not the other times? After a few seconds, the fire extinguished and her hand was left without a mark or a scratch. She clenched and relaxed her fist a few times, feeling now stinging or anything and seeing the splinters on the floor. How does this work?

Suddenly, a flash of green and a small booming sound made her jump, but it was only Myka. "Chance, are you…ahh crap."

"Hey Myka why are you back so…" She was smiling at first at seeing her sister come back early, but that quickly dropped when she saw the state of her. "I-is that…bl-blood?" She asked pointing to her mouth and paws. "Myka, what happened?" She looked over her body; she had more blood on her then she first thought.

"Aria, where's Chance? Why isn't she with you?" Myka asked as she walked towards her. Aria was frightened; she quickly got to her feet as her bloodied sister walked towards her.

"She went to get some water. Myka why are you covered in blood?"

"We'll explain later on, right now you need to wait here." Myka turned to run away and get back to her mother and father. But surprisingly she was forced to stop.

"No." Aria replied. "Tell me what happened, why are you covered in blood?"

"I said mom and dad will…" Aria's eyes flashed and the fire stretched and flew out towards Myka in a ball. She couldn't believe what she did, Aria didn't realise it. Myka was quick however, she picture the flame going around her rather then into her. And as her eyes flashed the flame split around her and into the rock behind her. She was left gob-smacked as she turned to face her, Aria had her mouth covered in shock of what she just did. "Myka, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…" That's it, Myka had lost it. It was time to get rid of this human once and for all.

"Ok, you want to know what just happened?" Aria didn't move or answer. "We've just killed people." Myka saw it in her eyes; she was listening and couldn't believe it. "Oh yeah, we've just killed some people, even mom and dad, Lupa and Dakota. I've been killing for nearly seven months; mom and dad have been doing that a lot longer then that."

"Bu- but why?" Aria covered her mouth, she wanted to be sick. Who were these people?

"The Ditori are a group of people that have hunted us down for nearly a decade, we kill them before they kill us."

"You…You lied to me?"

"Yeah we did." Myka snapped. "And guess what, so have I!" She exclaimed. "You don't belong in this family; you don't have it in you to kill to live around here when you need to. In this family it's fight to survive and always has been. You fainted when you saw that caribou heart the day after you came here. You don't look anything like my father other then the same eyes."

"We we're sis…"

"We're nothing!" Myka snarled as she began to creep towards her and making Aria step back a way from her. "I hate you Aria, I've always hated you!" The truth was out, and Aria was getting the full force of it. "I tried to be nice, I tried to teach you things like jumping high and landing safely, but you just had to get in the way of things! Just as things are perfect, you have to butt into our lives and ruin everything! You don't belong in this family human. To be in this family you've got to kill, you couldn't even look at a measly animal heart." Aria wanted to cry, her heart was ripped in two. She thought she loved her family, she thought they loved her. Clearly not.

It was then that Chance came walking up the slope with a clump of moss soaked in water. She dropped it after seeing Myka confronting Aria and looking how she was and Aria heard her.

"You…" She said with watery eyes. "You knew about this?" Chance could see that now the human knew everything, so she nodded and she hung her head. A moment later, Dakota, Jack, Lupa, Scott and Rosie reappeared behind Myka.

"Ok, and tonight we'll stake out the area until…" Scott was trying to say.

"Honey." Rosie stopped him and pointed to the scene. Scott looked into his daughter's pained eyes, they had been caught.

"Aria, let me explain…"

"Who are you?" She said in the strongest voice she could muster, but it came out as a croak. "Why are you…?" She looked up and down his body, most of his shirt and hands were covered in blood.

"Aria, there are some things that you won't understand, sweetheart." Scott said sweetly as he walked towards her. She only stepped away from him. She wanted to be sick, the state of him, the state on all of them. What she saw last night, it was all true. They were murderers, all of them. They kill, that's what they do. She held onto her arms, trying to get over what she was witnessing, but it just wasn't working. He tried approaching her again, she only pushed her arms out to him as a gesture to stay away and she stepped away again to keep away from him. She held onto her arms as if cradling herself, refusing to meet his gaze.

"I want to go home." She muttered. "I want to go home now." Scott nodded.

"Sure, go to bed then, we'll talk about this tom…"

"I want to go back home, back to my real home." She stopped him. He was heartbroken; he had driven away his human daughter. Myka had a brief moment to smile, she had succeeded. Finally she was going.

"Yeah…Ok. I'll call Tony and make some arrangements." He replied. "Go and pack your things." He went to pat her on the back, but before he even came close he we met with an invisible wall like a wall around her that stopped him. She looked up at him with her swirling green eyes, heartache and fear present in them before she walked away towards the den. She knew it; she knew this was too good to be true. Her father, a murderer, the Starnik, all murderers. What would the world think of this if they knew? Scott wanted to cry, he fought them. He couldn't believe what he had done; he couldn't believe he had just driven away his daughter that now couldn't bear to look at him. What they do now? Well, he was going to have to make arrangements to catch an earlier flight. But first, they all needed to wash.

**Ah man, Aria's found out and can't stand to look at any of them. She's going back home, the third daughter of the Starnik now wanting to leave the family. Can she forgive them? Can she even bring herself to look at them? Review and Read on to find out. There aren't many chapters to this story left guys, i didn't think of a way to expand it a little, but it wouldn't have made much sense. Anyway, until next time. :S**

**The FalconWolf**


	13. Chapter 13 Stupidity

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 13: Stupidity

Stepping into their temporary camp, Craig, Stephanie and a few others walked in on the site that was nothing. Nobody was around, not a sound. It was sunset, where was everyone? It wasn't until Stephanie stepped into a puddle of crimson red liquid that she wanted to retch. Sure she knew who these people were and what the Starnik wanted to do with them. But it was different to see it first hand. Once again, sure she was guaranteed her safety in this as long as she helped the Starnik; she was still terrified to be in this tense place. It was clear what had happened here, their may not have been any bodies, but the scraps in the dirt, arrows, bullet shells and blood all added together, the summery was clear. Craig clenched his fist and a deep growl emitted out the pits of his stomach. The large vein in his right arm tensed. "Sir, what happens now?" One of the five men remaining asked behind him.

"We go to the site, we set up and we wait. We've got everything to lose, so move out."

Aria never spoke a word after she made her decision; Scott never said a word and silently cried to himself away from the others for letting his daughter down. Things were tense, the only different emotion around came from Myka, she was happy and smug; finally she was getting what she wants. Sure, she could have said the blood came from a caribou they were hunting, but no, she had an opportunity to keep the human away once and for all. They washed, cleansing their bodies and freeing it of the wet and dried blood deep in their pelts and skin. Scott had let Aria down, what life could she possibly have in this family? One of fighting, killing, lies, responsibility to wolf and human kind. It wasn't a life he or Rosie wanted for Myka, but she didn't want it any other way, she wanted a family whether she killed or not. Aria, she was too young, she wouldn't understand, this wasn't what he wanted for her.

She packed her things, and after Scott washed he was already communing with Tony and Skye with his mind on a favour he needed. A flight back to London, the next available one and now, he'd pay him back somehow. They agreed, and couldn't help but offer their sympathies that it didn't work out. Of course, Scott didn't give them the full story, if he told them the Ditori were making a move they'd want in, he didn't want them in danger again. He simply told them she wasn't enjoying it here, that she found out what they had done in the past, e.g. the killing. They understood.

Aria however, she couldn't look at any of them again. They were murderers, her family were killers. The great, powerful Starnik were killers! She thought they wanted peace? That they wanted humans and wolves to live in peace. Yet here they are, killing humans. Why? What did they get from the numerous killings? Why did they do it? Did they have a reason? Even if they did, it still wasn't right. To be honest, she thought they should all be in prison or someplace. No matter who they were, even the great Starnik needs to obey the laws. They have no right to avoid these things. She was sick to her stomach the thirty minutes she packed and sat in the den waiting for Tony to collect her. Her father, a murderer, her half sister, who apparently never liked her, a killer just like him. Was he going to make her the same? Did he want her to be like him and Myka? A killer too. She didn't want that, she just wanted to go home and forget of her father. From this point on, she had no father.

It was dark when Tony appeared in the flash of white and green along with the sound of lightening. Myka, wanting to add more to this, approached her human uncle and leapt up onto his chest for an embrace. He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry to hear about all this." Myka only smirked as he looked away from him.

"It's ok; this isn't a life she's used to. It's been too hard on the poor girl."

"I can't see why." He chuckled lightly. She hopped down and continued her saddened face. Scott then walked towards him and shook his hand.

"Thanks for this buddy." He smiled as strongly as he could, it wasn't very. "I'll pay you back somehow."

"Don't worry about it. We're friends; it's the least I could do." Tony replied as he pulled his hand away. Scott turned to face the den so he could call out.

"Aria, he's here." She came barrelling out with no desire to stop. She had a look on her face that showed she didn't care; she didn't care for any of them. She wanted to leave and leave now. This trip had been such a let down. She came in hopes of meeting her father, from what her mother said a great, honest and loving man. What bullshit, it was a cover up. She carried her rucksack in her hand, practically dragging it behind her. He walked to her and opened his arms for her; she simply weaved around him and towards Tony. "Aria please…" He pleaded as he turned to face her. "Just listen." She sighed, dropped her bag and turned to face him.

"Why should I listen to anything you have to say?!" She yelled. "You're a liar. All of you!" She looked to the rest of the family standing behind him a little way, Rosie who stood to his left and Myka who stood on his right. "You're murderers." Scott could only hang his head at the words coming from her mouth. He wanted to tell her the whole story, but she wouldn't understand and she'd only be in danger the more she knew. "Yeah, that's what I think." Her eyes began to glow from the anger developing in her. She was mad at him for letting her down, for lying. She didn't want to see him again after this day. She leaned back down to pick up her bag when Scott built the courage to step towards her.

"Just, let me hold you one last time." He asked of her. "Please, just once." As reluctant as she was, and even if it meant anything to him, it wouldn't mean anything to her, so she stepped towards him and dropped her bag again. She did nothing, she only let him put his hands on her shoulders and kiss her forehead and whisper. "I do love you Aria, whether you believe it or not. I love you so much." She only rolled her eyes, thinking _"Whatever."_ Before he let go of her. While she could and before anyone had anything else to say, she bent back down to pick up her bag that lay at Myka's paws. But as her hand passed her, she left her hand acting as a magnet as it passed down her front. She stopped as her hand was in front of her stomach and above the handle of her bag. She felt something, she felt a presence, a warm presence and colours, she heard whispers, she heard a drums gentle beat.

"What are you doing?" Myka asked a little hotly. Aria shook her head to clear them, before going all the way down and taking hold of her bag.

"I guess I should say congratulations." She exhaled loudly while standing back up and slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"What?" Myka scowled. "What did you say to me?"

"I don't care who they are, I'm not visiting them." Aria answered as she started walking back towards Tony. Myka looked down at her stomach, was there something on them? "I want out in this life, so don't make them any part of my life." She stood to Tony's side and looked back to her. What was Aria seeing that she wasn't? It was then a daunting, yet, incredible realisation swung into her eyes as she gazed down at her stomach.

"I'm pregnant?" She looked up to Aria; she didn't move or say anything. She whirled around and faced her mate that stood behind her. "Jack, I'm pregnant!" He was lost for words, and they embraced one another. Lupa looked to Aria, how? How could she know that when Myka didn't even know when she was the pregnant one? She had a theory. As did Chance but to a completely different topic which she'd ponder over some other time. Aria looked up to Tony.

"Can we go now please?" She asked politely. He nodded and put an arm around her shoulder.

"We've got to make a quick stop on the way."

Scott and Aria looked one another in the eye for a split second before Tony smacked the stone in his hand against the rock beside him and together he and Aria vanished, allowing Scott to change and finally let his tears fall. While Rosie comforted him, Jack and Myka were letting their tears of joy fall. Scott was a let down; he was a dead beat dad, a sorry excuse for one. Myka and Jack continued to hold one another; finally they were going to have a family.

"How could she know that?" Dakota wondered. "As amazing as this is, how could she know you're pregnant if you're not even having morning sickness yet?"

"I don't know." Myka grinned. "I don't care either, I really don't care." She was too over the moon to think about anything.

"I think I know." Lupa added while stepping to them. "The Phoenix is a symbol or rebirth and life; I guess sensing new life is another one of her powers."

Meanwhile, Scott was crying into his paws as he laid on his front. He couldn't believe what he had done, he had let down one of two pieces of him on this earth, and he wasn't going to see it again. She didn't know where she lived; she wasn't going to see her again. "Scott, it's ok, she'll understand." Rosie said softly by his side.

"She won't." He cried. "She hates us all; she will never want to see us again. You heard what she said; she doesn't want to be a part of us anymore."

"Scott…" Chance said after a small cough while approaching. "I'm sorry but we can't stay long, we need to go before they start."

"Chance, we going to have to…" Rosie never got a chance to finish. Scott sniffed and wiped his cheek while getting up.

"No, she's right." He replied. "Thank you Chance, you're right. We need to go, we can't hang around." As much as she was against it, Rosie knew they couldn't hang around for long. They still needed to find this Charlie girl before the Ditori and stop them in the process. Myka bounded towards her father and crashed into him, he still had to be happy for her.

"Dad this is amazing isn't it?!" She squealed in delight. He couldn't help but chuckle as he wrapped his paws around her.

"It certainly is baby girl, congratulations." She swapped with her mother as Scott shared his congratulations with Jack, but as Myka began to move away from her mother, Rosie had to object to something.

"Myka, you need to stay here this time." Instantly, her face dropped.

"What? No, no way. I'm coming with you."

"She's right sis." Dakota added. "It's not safe for you or the little ones, you need to stay here."

"And I agree with that." Lupa stepped beside him.

"Listen, I killed Sam, if he's coming back then I want to see his sorry ass back to hell again." She retaliated. "I'm going, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

A little while later, Tony, Skye and Aria appeared in Kalispell airport. Of course, people stared and gasped at the sight of the three people suddenly appearing in the light and sound the stone Tony had made. Even if the world knew of Supernaturals, it was still an incredible ting to see, and it took a while for people to continuing going down the airport. Aria didn't stop for anything; she took the ticket in Tony's hand and seeing as she knew where to go, and wanted to just go home, she was already walking when Skye called to her. "Aria wait." She wasn't impressed and turned back to face them with an impatient expression.

"If you're going to stand up for him, don't bother. I don't want to hear it."

"Scott's a good man." Tony told her. "He would want nothing but happiness from you."

"So he kept the truth from me." The two adults shared a look. "Yeah, he told me everything, and I guess as his best friends you either knew about it or didn't."

"We know." Skye nodded. "But it's not the reason you think."

"I don't care, it's not right and not what my father would do." She started walking backwards. "Thanks for the help." She then turned around and started walking towards the check-in, eager to just get home.

It was also in this time, just a different place, that Lupa and Rosie jumped to the home of the witch the Ditori wanted. It was your everyday apartment complex, Lupa simply memorised her face enough to track her through the mental mind map she could create and tracked her here. The same way she found Myka when she resurrected them, and the single the witch gave off led them here. It was night, so with any luck she'd be asleep or getting ready for it. "Which floor honey?" Rosie asked. Lupa took her paw and the two faded, only moments later to reappear where Lupa sensed that signals strongest presence. A large apartment living room, neat and tidy. The funny thing is...the lights were off and on the wooden coffee table in the middle of the room and before the couch, a Wiccan pentagram with five white candles on each point sat on it. Taking a closer look at the candles and by how much wet wax lay around them, it was clear they had been lit for some time. Lupa scanned with her radar again, her presence was here but the woman wasn't. There wasn't anyone in this room.

"Did they take her?" She questioned.

"It's too clean." Rosie shook her head. "If they did then she went willingly. She didn't fight them."

"You think maybe she was practicing the spell? It looks an awful lot like Dakota said with the star."

"Maybe, come on, let's get home."

Things were discussed, thoughts and final retaliations were shared and plans were developed before the family all left to do what needed to be done. They had to get their head in the game, they had to be ready for anything, Scott couldn't, he couldn't focus. "Do you think she got on the flight ok?" He asked to his mate literally as soon as they landed. "Do you think she'll be ok?"

"Now Scott? We'll talk about this later." She whispered. He nodded, he couldn't be thinking about these things right now. He took an arrow from his quiver and strung it as all seven of them crept towards the hedges. It was dark, pitch black, so why was there orange light coming from over the next set of hedges? They looked over, passed and through them, they were too late.

That witch, sat on her heels on the floor in the centre of the Wiccan Star, speaking aloud in rhymes and riddles while leaning back and forth. Each point of the star had a small fire lighted on them, giving off the light they needed. If she was here, so was the Ditori. But where were they? They looked around; they weren't anywhere to be seen. In the shadows, in the trees, no, they weren't.

"Baby, do you mind." Dakota nudged his mate, and she nodded before straining her eyes to full effect. She didn't see anything, they weren't here either. But surely, if she was here then they had to be too.

"I can't see them." She answered after a moment. "Maybe they've left her for a moment."

"And leave their only chance unprotected?" Jack muttered. "Unlikely."

"Perhaps she needed to be alone for this part of the spell." Myka suggested.

"If so we need to move now." Scott clipped in the arrow. "Let go." As quickly as a flash, they all leapt out from behind the bushes, growling, snarling and drawing back the arrow. "Get up and shut up!" Scott ordered as they moved in towards her. She didn't look at them, she didn't say anything, she continued speaking that same rhyme over and over again, and now they could hear what she was saying.

"From where they came, for now and forever, use these words and take her power." She said these words great and loud over and over again, what did they mean, how was this a summoning spell.

"We said stop!" Rosie snarled, she still didn't move. Suddenly, and over her talking, flares fired high into the sky and illuminated more of the dark forest, quickly followed by Frisbee like projectiles that spewed out a liquid. It covered everything under them. Dakota licked a drop that landed on his muzzle and tasted it.

"It's… it tastes like oil?" Charlie continued to speak the rhymes, it had to stop. Scott moved in to stop her by force, but then a creaking noise poised him to shoot in the direction of a bush…falling? Wrong, it was a metal pallet, covered in leaves and paints, a clever camouflage. It was aluminium lined, something Chance's X-ray or even hospital X-ray couldn't see through. Craig, Stephanie and one other stepped from behind it, all but the woman holding a weapon towards them. Quickly, it was followed by five others pushing over two more separate pallets and bearing them down with more weapons. This was the last of the Ditori, this was their last stand.

Scott now had a new target in sight, the leader. "What a pleasure Starnik." Craig voiced to them. "I've never had the privilege before."

"I've got the three to the right." Myka whispered.

"I can take Stephanie." Dakota added.

"The two on the left are mine." Rosie growled.

"Well no you get that honour." Dakota made his move, he went in for Stephanie, but something devastating happened. He didn't move anywhere. He tried again, nothing happened, not even his eyes flashed.

"Scott, I can't jump." He panicked.

"What?" He asked in disbelief while keeping his eye on the leader before him. Myka waved her paw in the direction of the three to her right, once again, nothing happened.

"Dad, I can't do anything." This was bad, even Scott tried to thrown them all back at once, they had lost their powers. Craig and his fellow men only began to laugh. He removed from his pocket a test tube gloopy, brown liquid.

"Meet Serum 138." He said and waving it around. "The newer and stronger baby sister of Serum 76. Put simply, the liquid on Sam's gun." Scott growled angrily, they were fooled again, but how was this possible? "Put the toy down." He had no choice. Myka couldn't believe the trap they had fallen into; her pups were in danger, so she couldn't blame how close Jack was pressed again her. She jumped when suddenly that witch was standing next to her and looking intently into her eyes. Jack repositioned himself and snarled aggressively at her, readying to lash out if need be. She only stood there, speaking those same words while keeping her piercing gaze locked on her.

""From where they came, for now and forever, use these words and take her power." Quickly, Myka caught onto what she had planned, but before she could react, she slipped as her legs turned to jelly. Charlie took a deep breath as she felt a rush of great and powerful energy flow her and Myka had it drained from her. This didn't last long, and soon she stopped talking and walking back to the centre of the circle.

"I'm ready." She said to Craig.

"Then start." He ordered. She nodded and sat back on her heels again in the middle of the star to repeat a different spell good and loud.

Myka picked herself back up, seething as she tried to get over the stinging over her body. "Honey, what happened? What did she do to you?" Jack asked worryingly as he helped her up.

"She took my Wicca." She answered with a groan.

"What? Why?" Lupa gasped at the fear of what she could do with that power.

"I'm the only one strong enough to bring back the dead, so she took my strength and is channelling it right now. She has the power, she can bring back Sam."

Meanwhile, Aria sat back in her chair after sliding her bag into the over head slot. She buckled her seatbelt and leaned again the window and watched the men prepare the plane. It was a big one, a massive commercial airplane. An eight hour flight awaited her, she was glad she'd probably fall back to sleep. It was late, getting into the early hours of the morning; she'd be home by just before mid-day tomorrow, including the drive as well. She was eager to get home; there was nothing for her here. She wanted her mother, she wanted her grandfather. She wanted the horse she had, her dancing, her friends, she wanted England and to forget this foreign country that was America. She was happy, she wanted and was going to be happy once she got home and was once again in the arms of her mother.

She had already thought of an excuse to her journey. She looked for the entire time; she wondered the streets of Kalispell, staying in that hotel her family had booked for her before she even came here. She searched the surrounding villages; she found a few friends of his but haven't seen him since. All in all, her verdict was that she never found him. She already promised herself that she wasn't going to think about him or ask about him ever again, even if he turned up on her doorstep. She wanted to sleep, it was the only way this journey would become shorter. So she smacked her lips, turned to face the window a little more and looked at her reflection for a moment, and even the wolf's sitting behind her… Wait…huh?

She looked to the seat behind her a black and white wolf sat behind her. How? How could a wolf be on here? She looked to the people sat in the seat on the other side of the aisle; the lady saw her and simply smiled, like the wolf wasn't even there. "How are you…?"

"Only you can see me Aria." He said. "My name is Shadow." He answered. "Sarah asked me to come and talk to you."

"Sarah, as in my supposed spirit guide?" She asked and once again unimpressed that this murderous side of the family was still following her. "So you're dead to?"

"Sadly, I am." He chuckled. "But I'm also here to help you."

"Help me how? I don't need any help; I can get home by myself." She replied gruffly. Shadow needed a new approach; he hadn't dealt with anyone like this since Lupa was young and rebellious.

"Listen." He whispered and taking a new approach. "Your step-mother, Rosie, she is the love of my life, and Dakota and Lupa are my everything." She looked back at him; he was now getting her interest. "They are my children and mate, before I died; I wanted to protect them from everything, much like what Scott wants for you, to protect you."

"Who's Scott?" She asked sarcastically. "I don't know anyone by that name."

"You know, I sometimes wonder that myself." He nearly laughed. "But honestly, your father and sister have done what they did for all of you."

"For me? Please." She scoffed and fully turned to face him again and readying her comebacks. "My sister hates me, their both murderers as are the rest of them. They're all wolves and my dad is one. I don't belong in that family; it's not what I do." He listened inattentively; he didn't want her to stop because of him. He wanted her to let it all out. "They track, they howl, they hunt when I can't even look at a heart. I can't use my powers like dad and Myka can and I…"

"You said "dad"." He stopped her there; a key point had just been made. "There's a part of you that still thinks of him as a father." She thought she had her comebacks ready, but as she opened her mouth nothing came out. Quickly, he waved his paw slowly across her face and afterwards he stared at his pads as if something was written on them. "Your greatest fear is being a disappointment to your father."

"No it's not!" She shouted, to everyone around her that heard, into thin air. She realised this and quickly quietened down. "It's not."

"But it is." He nodded as she brought his paw back down. "I can tell, no matter how buried it is, it's still there." Once again, she had no come back. She leaned back in her chair and exhaled loudly while she fumbled with her thumbs.

"I dreamed for so long of meeting my father." She said a little more calmly. "I grew up learning that he was a great, caring and loving man my mother once loved." Once again Shadow listened in keenly. "I wanted to meet him, when I started hearing the voices and moving things without touching them as well as growing too quickly, it was the right time. My family wanted answers that maybe my dad could give, so I came to find him in those hopes." Her voice then turned a little more disappointed and angered. "But now I find they're all killers. That probably right now there are a group of people lying in a pool of their own blood, innocent people." Shadow lifted his paw again and started moving it to her forehead.

"I want to show you something." He said. "May I?" She looked at his paw, reluctant.

"Nothing is going to change my mind you know."

"Maybe this will." He then placed it on her head, and quickly her eyes were weighed down and she began to see things on the back of her eye lids. _Her father and step-mother, her siblings, both half and step, all of them, and the reasons they fought. She saw men and women, hunting, killing and torturing wolves and the occasional human in cold blood and in gruesome and horrid ways. But it was how her family fought them to defend their kind and to make the world as it was. She didn't know, these "Ditori", these people, they were the cold blooded killers, not her family. Her family fought to defend the world as it is now; they fought because they had no choice. She watched as Scott and Rosie were taken all those years ago by these people and massacred some pack, pups and all. They started it; they were the ones who started a war, not them. The Starnik were innocent, they had no choice but to kill. They were innocent!_

She opened her eyes just as Shadow pulled his paw away; she blinked rapidly to try and get over what she just saw and heard. It was like years of knowledge and memories just flashed before her very eyes. "Now you will understand why they do what they must."

"Oh my god." She brought a cupped hand to her mouth as her eyes started to water. "That happened to them?" He nodded a single time.

"They love you so much Aria, they want you to be in their lives, especially Scott." But she shook her head.

"How?" She asked. "I can't do the things they do; I can't use my powers like they can. I can't hunt, I can't do anything right. Myka hates me; she told me herself that she never liked me when in true honesty I loved her like a sister the moment we met. Heck, I can't even look at a dead deer." He could now see that she was getting upset, it made him think back to the times Lupa was in a state like this and he was there to comfort her.

"I think I can tell you something." He shuffled a little closer to her. "You might not think it, but your family need you know more then anything."

"Why would they need me?" Once again, she suddenly felt her eye lids weighed down, and before her very eyes and as if she was really there, she found she was standing in a clearing, a woman chanting on the floor, men standing around with weapons and aiming weapons at… She opened her eyes again; her heart beat rapidly as she feared what she saw. "What was…?"

"That was them." Shadow answered. "That is happening right now." Her eyes widened. "Those people, they're not done with the world yet, they still want to make it a world they think should be. You must help them Aria."

"Me? What can I do?" She looked out the window as the plane quickly jolted and the engines started to grow louder.

"You can do anything to change the playing field." He answered. "You are the one thing the Ditori didn't think of. You are the secret of the Starnik, you're their secret weapon. You have the power to save them." She looked out the window again; the bridge connected to the plane door was starting to move away. He father, her sister, they were in danger. The answer to her questions was in jeopardy, they were going to die! Unless she did something. "Only you can save them Aria." Shadow added. She looked back down to him as the airplane's engines started to grow louder. "It's now or never, what's your choice?"

**They aren't going to be many chapters to this story left guys. I'm sorry, but i couldn't think of anything to further extend it, other then something that doesn't make much sense and would make it completely random and not fit in with the story. However, the next, and i'm series when i say last, series to my Starnik Series will be out shortly after this one.**

**Anyways, being the Starnik's secret weapon, will Aria choose to go home or save her family? Will she get there in time if she chooses to? Charlie, does she understand what she's doing? Does she know who she's going against. Now with Myka's added Wiccan strength, she has to power do do anything Myka could. Now she can resurrect Sam. Will she be stopped? Review and Read on to find out.**

**On another thing, for those that don't really know, i like to make a list of people to thank in the Authors Note, so if you want me to put your name down, leave a review so then i can thank you so much for reading my Series. Until Next Time. :D**

**The FalconWolf**


	14. Chapter 14 The Taking and Saving

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 14: The Taking and Saving

The witch spread her arms to the side and snapped her fingers as she recited a different spell, and quickly, the lines of white pebbles that joined the points of the Wiccan star together caught ablaze, travelling from point to point until the entire star was ablaze. The Starnik, their children and mates were sat and forced to stay at gun point. It was only a matter of time before the new serum these, admittedly, clever people created changed Scott again into a wolf. Now he sat with them, powerless and unable to do anything. Chance and Jack were careful not to let any of the liquid splattered on them get into their mouths, for they new it was a slow acting, but always lethal poison to anyone but the Starnik. They were going to be sure to wash thoroughly if they could get out of this mess. "The witch is strong." Charlie took a moment to say and turning to Craig who stood just behind her. "Where did you say you found her?"

"That's not for you to know." He answered. "Are you ready?"

"Just tell me when. With my own plus the wolf's power, added to the strength of the pentagram, I have more then enough power."

He nodded and turned to walk to the Starnik sat in a line and unable to do anything. Dakota dared looked up for a moment, locking gazes with Stephanie who felt helpless, but mainly because she was. She couldn't stop them by herself, they were too many. Five of them stood behind the wolves, plus Craig who was a person you didn't want to mess with, and then the witch who now had incredible power. In the blink of an eye, Dakota was suddenly seething and groaning in pain as the man stood behind him hit him in the jaw with the butt of his gun. He groaned and seethed loudly as Chance cooed him softly from where she was. It was under pain of beating should they move or even look up without Craig's say so, and Dakota felt the full force of it. Chance didn't move, and as much as she wanted to even Dakota stopped her, even Rosie who sat the other side of him. He moved his jaw around, he flicked his top left canine with his tongue and quickly spat, not just a little blood, but also that tooth. Great, what wolf doesn't have a full set of teeth? Now he had a gap in his mouth.

"If we're going to die then why don't you just do it already?" Scott growled and, like his step-son, daring to look up and therefore feeing the price to pay. He was going to be giving a second blow when Craig raised his hand to stop him.

"And let you miss out on seeing an old high school friend?" He questioned. "Not how rude would that make you? Besides, I'm sure he'd like the honour of killing you." He looked to four of his men. "Patrol the perimeter; we can't let anything disturb us." Those three men then turned He Turned back to Charlie and nodded a single time, which she responded with her own before looking down to the ground at a picture of the one she needed to bring back before her and repeating one of her own spells.

"One way was torn, come our friend and be reborn, take this chance to live and sore, from death to life so none shall mourn. A gap I make, to bring you home, back to this world that was yours to roam."

The bridge to the plane continued to move back, the operator just doing his job and not expecting a young girl to suddenly leap out of the plane and nearly fall off the edge before running again. He stopped, the air hosts and hostesses ran to the door she just jumped out of and began calling her back. Aria didn't stop, she couldn't stop. She had to move and hurry. She ran along the tunnel, eager to get outside and…wait, how on earth was she going to get to them in time? She didn't know where they were, they could be on the opposite side of the country for all she knew. Then another new problem came closer as she ran, the doors to the tunnel and back into the terminal was locked, a key of some kind was needed to unlock it. She hit it, she shouted for someone to unlock it, but nobody heard. She smacked it one last time and stopped, breathing quickly and pushing against it to think of another way. She looked at her hands, what use were they to her if she couldn't get outside. Wait, her hands! She stepped away, getting a good distance from the door and focusing with all her might.

Outside the terminal, Tony and Skye sat around, waiting just in case anything should happen with the plane and Aria needed to get off. They were only being cautious and worried for her; they didn't want to leave her here in this foreign place to her on her own. They were about to get up and leave when suddenly, people started screaming at the same time they both heard an almighty loud bang. A man and woman ran passed them, and it got their attention. "What is going on?" Skye wondered.

"I don't know, come on." He grabbed her hand and together they laid down a well paced jog towards where the banging was coming from. They had to fight a wall of people wanting to watch as well. But watch what? What was happening? They battled the crowd, fighting to get to the front as the bangs continued. When they did, there was a large space between them and one of the terminal doors, the same door they watched Aria walk through. Dents poked out of the door as if some super human had been battering it. Then suddenly another appeared at the same time something on the other side hit it. Some members of the crowd screamed, others flinched and stepped back. Then it seemed to stop, they couldn't see through the glass from the angle they were at. So what on earth?

But then, it banged a final time and the door burst from its huge steel hinges, flying a couple of metres and crashing at the feet of the crowd who quickly scrambled to get away. It slid a little across the room before stopping at Tony and Skye's feet, and when they looked up Aria was stepping out of the now ruined terminal doorway, her eyes glowing green as she stood. Even the two thought she looked frightening by the way she looked. But there was going to have to be a time later on for talking about this. "Tony!" She called out and walking quickly towards them. The crowd backed away, but Tony and Skye stayed put.

"Aria, what did you do?" Skye asked rather shocked and…well, it was a little too much.

"There's no time." She answered as she stood in front of them. "I need that rock." She pointed down to his pocket.

"Why? Where are you going?"

"There's no time, just give it to me!" She repeated frantically and desperately wanting the rock. Tony wasn't sure what to think; he just did as he was asked and took the stone out of his pocket and handed it to Aria. "How does it work?"

"Aria, tell us what's…"

"Tell me!" She practically screamed at him. Man, she really was like Myka in a way; it must be in Scott's genetics that make them both that way.

Back in the clearing, all was silent other then Charlie's repeated spell. Nothing seemed to be happening, nothing had changed and nothing was showing that it was even working. They expected lights, sounds and high winds or something, but no, nothing. She had been doing this for the last five minutes, building the energy of the spell via repeating it over and over again. But finally, it had to give at some point. The what was once a small fire going over the lines, suddenly became a higher fire as tall as a human's waist and the wind rapidly picked up. Before Charlie, a dark grew and thickened, like a thick, choking black smoke that started off the size of a marble and grew quickly into the size of a human in but ten seconds. Charlie's work was done; she jumped to her feet and stepped backwards and away from it, careful not to tread on the fires. For once, the Starnik were able to list their heads to see this. They failed, when they thought Sam was finally gone for good, he was making a return.

Out in the forest, the guards were alerted when a sudden flash of white and green as well as the quieter sound of a snap of lightening. The two men that were in that area raised their guns in the direction, looked at each other and then moved in to investigate. They weaved in-between the hedges and trees, stepping over logs and branches to find what created that…whatever it was. They searched the place they ere sure it came from, but found nothing. "Split up, maybe it moved." So one went left and one went right, stepping onto and over another log in the process. Little did that person know, this log was the hiding place of a certain young girl. She peeked through a small gap in the log, watching and making sure that man had gone far enough away before slithering out without making a noise. She accomplished that and crept behind it and beside a bush; she was more or less hidden here.

She looked around it, back to the man who just passed her and suddenly found herself staring at his weapon tight in his clutches. This was so real, this was dangerous, she could die right here and now. These people, from Shadow's vision they were the Ditori, they were serious, if they wanted something then they were going to work hard to get it. So was she going to get to her family without being caught by them? She looked over the hedge and through the tree's she could see the lights of several fires, and the wind seemingly louder over there. But how could it be if it wasn't here…?

"Get up!" Some said right behind her. She froze; her heart started beating quickly as she slowly looked around to come face to face with the barrel of a gun. "I said get up."

"Please don't hurt me." She whined innocently and holding her hands up but staying in her crouched position. "I'm just a girl." The guard looked down to her, he wasn't fooled and he wasn't going to be.

"Seth, get over here, I've found the intruder!" She looked behind him, and a moment later that second man came marching towards them both.

"A girl?" He scoffed. "That's who it was?"

"Please, I don't mean you nay harm." She pleaded once again.

"Come on man, just let her go." This "Seth" man said and seeing her as no threat.

"Craig wanted us to catch all trespassers, including little girls."

"Seriously, what's one little girl going to do?"

"This." Aria answered as her eyes flashed and the first man who caught her soared back and away from her. He screamed as he flew with the speed of a bullet train and into the tree behind him. She next turned to the second man who began to fumble with his gun. Her eyes flashed a second time, but this time the man went straight up into the air, crashing through the branches of the trees and continuing to go higher. So high in fact his screams couldn't be heard. She looked up through that gap he made, waiting and waiting when suddenly he crashed back through, still screaming and crashing into the dirt with an almighty, bone crushing crash. He quickly fell silent, and Aria covered her ears. She didn't want that to happen, she wanted her to be like the first man and go backwards. She could se that man still breathing, so he'd be fine, but this man, her stomach twisted as she began to side step towards him. She placed two fingers on the side of his neck, not only did she feel each bone in it like it was dust, but also that he had no pulse.

She covered her mouth as her stomach began to do somersaults at the horrid realisation that she had just taken a life. She turned away and leaned against a tree, breathing heavily and gagging. She just killed, she had just killed someone. She was sick with herself, she wanted to be sick but couldn't. She hated herself, but still, she had to go on. She had to finish this and save her family.

The black smoke sparked once red, then quickly it did it again ad again until the entire smoke was spewing out red sparks like a firework. "He's here." Charlie couldn't believe it, or how strong the Wiccan wolf was to be able to do this. She had actually resurrected the dead! Suddenly, a man appeared standing in the smoke, his body sweaty, his clothes burned, scorched and ripped, his eyes bloodshot and filled with insanity. Scott gasped at the sight of Sam as he began to appear through the smoke. Craig moved the witch to the side.

"Sir, have no fear, you're going to be ok."

"The flames." Sam breathed deeply. "The heat, the flames, the burning, the thirst. Get me out of here!"

"It's only a few minutes away." Charlie said into Craig's ear. "He's coming through." Sam looked to his right, grinning at the sight of the Starnik once again forcibly bowing before him. He didn't know what was happening, but he couldn't wait to get out of hell.

Aria gathered her strength and courage; she stood tall and readied herself for the next task, getting closer. She crouched and stealthily made her way towards the flames, the wind around her increasing with each step she took. Why was it stronger here and not back there? The last line of hedges was in sight, she had made it. Or so she thought, so she suddenly felt breathless as a set of arms wrapped around her and picked her up. She kicked and elbowed at the man standing holding her, but he was tough. Second man approached from the front and towards her.

"A kid?" She scoffed. "What's a pretty little girl like you doing out here?" The man before her asked.

"Get away from me!" She screamed.

"Oh, feisty." The man holding her chuckled. "Tell Craig there's an intruder, I've got her." The man turned to walk through the bushes, Aria couldn't let her cover be blown. Her eyes flashed again, she might as well add more to her blood soaked hands. The man was thrown by an invisible force to the right and into a tree, slamming his head in the process and being knocked out cold. The second man freaked and threw her to the side. She fell, but before she could pick herself up he was already running through that hedge and calling out loud.

"Intruder!"

Craig, Sam, Stephanie and the Starnik watched then man run into the clearing. "Sir, we have an intruder!" He yelled over the winds and flames.

"Find her, do not let her in!" Suddenly, the atmosphere changed, the feeling they were being watched loomed over them all. The wind suddenly, died down and turned into silence, Charlie's spell nearly complete. The smoke around Sam quickly drifted away and leaving his body behind, the spell mere seconds away from completion. But in that moment of silence, everything went wrong. From the top point of the star, the flame suddenly went out, it travelled along the lines to each point, extinguishing the fires and therefore breaking the strength of the spell. Sam faded away with the smoke, leaving nothing left behind and only the small fires on each point of the pentagram. Craig took his pistol in hand, as did the two remaining guards standing around. "Split them up!" He bellowed. The guards and Stephanie split the Starnik up, spreading them around the more darkened clearing. If they were together then they could think of a plan and work together, not while they were apart.

They all looked around, including the wolves who were eager to know who was doing this, whether they were a friend or foe. They were just as fearful. Jack watched his mate carefully, wanting her and his unborn pups to be safe. Yet he was the other side of the clearing from her, so he couldn't protect her. But then, they were a stifled cry. Craig spun around, everyone faced the place it came from as they witnessed a young girl walking towards them, crying and her arms locked downwards. "Please, I'm lost." She cried. Craig lowered his pistol.

"Don't give into it boss." That man who held her warned. "She killed the others."

"Aria?" Scott gasped as soon as he saw her.

"_Don't say anything."_ She whispered into all their minds as she walked further into the clearing. Too late.

"You know her?" Craig questioned with a smile while looking down at him. Busted. He re-aimed his weapon towards her, no longer fooled by her if the Starnik knew her.

"Stay right there!" He ordered. She stopped, standing beside Myka, but she continued her act. "Start the spell again." He whispered to Charlie beside him. He then moved, while keeping Aria in his sights, towards the guard beside him. "We can't have any more disruptions. Kill them now." The guard understood and with him the second guard followed him, Stephanie was handed a pistol and pretty much dragged before Dakota and had it aimed directly at him. She didn't know what to do, she was terrified.

Craig stood behind the Starnik; the two guards stood either side of Aria and Myka. Charlie didn't say anything, she watched in disbelief at what was happening. Who were these people, why was she doing this for murderers? "I said say the damn spell!" Craig bellowed, she had no choice and began by lighting the fires.

"Wait!" Aria screamed and holding her hands out to stop him. "Can't we have a last request?" Craig wondered, was she up to something? Abut how could she? She was powerless and just a stupid little girl for getting mixed up in this.

"Sure, I don't see why not." He placed his gun back in the holster strapped to his leg and began walking around and behind her. He was relaxed, what could she possibly do?

"You know…" She looked down to Myka. "I know we've always had our differences…" Myka didn't show any sign of hate towards her, they were going to die, so what was the point? "But I always thought you were pretty good in the papa shuffle." She winked down at her, causing Myka to tilt her head. Aria motioned with her eyes to the guard beside her, and soon she caught the idea she was thinking.

"Oh yeah, the papa shuffle." Myka nodded slowly, grinning at the thought. "So how did it go again?" They stepped a little closer together, standing side my side and causing everyone to watch in bafflement.

"Ready? Two to the left." Myka followed Aria's actions and they both side stepped to the left.

"Two to the right…" They both added as they did just that. "Now freak with it." They swayed and waving their hips and bodies in a circular motion as they turned around to make a circle. Then they repeated it. "Two to the left. Ah, ah. Two to the right. Ah, ah…" What were they doing? What was this? As amusing as it may have been for the Ditori to watch, the rest of the family didn't understand. What was this? "Now freak with it. Oh, oh. Now freak with it. Oh, oh." Craig wanted to laugh as he stood behind Aria, this was her last request. "And DUCK!" Myka fell to the floor. She was certain this wasn't how it went. But nether the less, she did it right as Aria threw out her hands to the sides; sending two blasts of telekinetic energy towards the men either side of her and back away with the force of a truck. She was fully aware of the third man behind her and reached her hand out to one of the flames and swiping it from it towards him. It was like she physically scooped it up and threw it at him for a ball of fire sprung out of it and collided with his face. He fell and clutched his face and screaming in pain. Myka looked up to her sister as she looked back down to her, then to her family all scattered around before her. "And that ladies and gentlemen, is the papa shuffle." She then took a bow to complete it. Scott was about ready to launch himself at her, but quickly another set of arms grabbed her around her neck and the cold steel of Craig's gun was pushed into her waist. His own face was burned severely, his left side taking more of the force and heat, his left eyes was clouded grey already and his skin weeping blood. His hair smoking ever so slightly.

"Why you little…" He seethed and snarled into her ear. "I'm going make you pay for that."

"I'm a daughter of the Starnik." She growled back. "I don't pay for anything!" He jumped up into the air, using her telekinetic gift and Myka's training to pick herself up and fly into the air. Myka watched in amazement, she was doing it, she was picking herself up. She had taught her! She flipped over him, loosening his grip on her in the process. Sure, she may have done it for once, but her landing wasn't so great. She landed feet first and then onto her back from the lack of balance she had. But Craig wasn't finished for he started to turn for her. But instead of coming face to face with her, he came face to face with Scott's bow and already strung arrow which laid by her side. The others started to creep forward, wanting to act and do something. Aria had a wild looked in her eye, one of panic and desperation.

"You don't have the guts girl." Craig spat.

"Aria, don't do it." Scott said softly. "Put the bow down honey."

"Come on sis." Myka added. Aria looked down to her; did she really just call her that? "Just put it down, it doesn't have to be this way for you." Her focus was changed, perfect. With all the speed he could muster, Craig unsheathed a knife from his waist, Dakota and Lupa saw this and began their sprint to stop him. It was like everything went in slow motion, it all happened so fast. Aria turned to face him, but in that time the knife began slipping out his fingers. Brother and sister threw themselves into the air at him, but sadly the knife had already become airborne by the time Dakota wrapped his jaws around his throat and Lupa knocked him down. The knife had a set course, and Aria wasn't quick enough. It impacted, driving itself into her chest and knocking her backwards, the arrow shooting off into the sky. She landed hard as everything seemed to return to a normal pace, Craig screamed and tried his hardest to fight off the two wolves while the others ran around to Aria, she wasn't moving.

Myka placed her paws over the wounds, but her paws didn't light up like they should do. Scott ran to her face and began trying to nudge her awake. Her eyes, they had no light in them.

"Aria, honey, please wake up." He cried as he nudged and stroke her face. Rosie added to the healing power over her chest with Myka, but still nothing happened. "Aria, Aria please don't do this."

"Come on sis, wake up!" Myka added with the cries. Chance's theory she developed was her only chance.

"Scott, get up." She pretty much ordered.

"Chance, please, if you can help her…"

"Just get up." She dashed over to the nearest fire and took a stick in her mouth. "Stand back." Reluctant, everyone stepped away from her body, her eyes still refusing to light as they stared up into the sky, most likely where she was right now. Chance jerked her head and tossed the stick onto her body.

"No, what are you doing?!" Myka screamed as Jack held her back.

"Just watch." She answered. As quick as a flash, the fire set alight on her as if her entire body was drenched in fuel. Her entire body set alight and was consumed in green flame. Everyone took another step away from the searing heat. This wasn't normal, this was something else? This lasted for a few moments, and soon the flame started to die down as if she was a fire. As it began to extinguish itself, her body was revealed still in tact and un-scorched. She was perfectly fine. Aria groaned and gentle opened her eyes, she was alive! Scott scrambled back towards her, as did Myka on the other side and the other gathered around her.

"Aria, are you ok?"

"Dad?" She croaked. "What happened?" He looked up to Chance.

"That's exactly what I'd like to know."

"She can only self heal around a fire." Chance answered. "Back when it first happened, the fire was still going. All the other times when she hurt herself and it didn't heal, there wasn't a fire. It had to be it." Scott carefully looked through her shirt, seeing no scar or a wound to show nothing ever happened. Well, apart from the fact most of her clothing was a little burnt and scorched in most areas.

"You came back." Myka muttered down to her and Aria looked up to her. "Why?"

"Because we're children of the Starnik." She answered. "In this family, we do anything for each other. I wasn't going to leave you all now." She smiled as Myka smiled in return.

"Aria?" Scott whispered. "I'm sorry for lying to you; I was only trying to keep you safe."

"You're my dad." She replied. "I don't care anymore." She then pulled him down to her and wrapped her arms around his body. He could only laugh in happiness, she was ok.

Myka felt a tap on her shoulder, and she look around to see Charlie stood shyly behind her. "I didn't know who these people were." She said. "They said they wanted my help in getting someone back from the dead. I didn't know the Starnik were going to be a part of it." Myka smiled again.

"It's ok, I understand."

"Take what's yours, and keep it forever more." Myka felt a very familiar rush of energy rush into her, it made her eyes flutter at the sensation. "I'm sorry for my involvement."

Aria finally had the strength to sit up after Scott was able to get off her, she had some minor stinging in her chest, but it was bearable.

"So the papa shuffle?" Rosie questioned. "Is that something you just came up with or have you two been practising?" The sisters shared a look, it only made them laugh. It was over, it was all finally over. After nearly eight years of fighting, it was finally over.

**Ta da! One chapter left guys then it's all over. Thanks for sticking around. So it seems it's all going to be a happily ever after again. Sam's gone, the last of the Ditori are dead. Everything is just perfect. Until next time. ;)**

**The FalconWolf**


	15. Chapter 15 The Greats

Secrets of the Starnik

Chapter 15: Never Goodbye

Cleaned up, spoken to softly and calmed down, it was finally the day that Aria was to go home, and for once, Myka didn't want her to leave. For once, she was seeing with clarity. She had been behaving like a pup; she was not being a grown she-wolf like she should be. She had to grow up, she had to get used to sharing her father now, and she was happy to do that now, she wanted nothing more then to be with her sister. She was expecting her first pups; she was going to have to set an example, not a bad one. They left that clearing last night after their powers returned, Aria in a bucket of heaps for her actions that night. It would always be clear to her that she had taken a life that night, but at least she was a part of the family in the term that she had taken a life. Stephanie left in her own direction, travelling back home to live out her former life and job and Charlie returned to her Wiccan practises. "Let bygones be bygones" was the last thing they shared before they all parted ways.

It was a hard night for Aria, but with her father there to comfort her as well as her sister who apologised for all her actions before that night, she started to calm down and understand that just because she took one life, she saved many more. "One for the many" as her sister told her.

It was the same night that Lupa could return to the temple of the Dire Wolves. Immediately she was bowed to the moment she faded into their space in the sanctum. Faolan was not far away, and he was quick to run into her and catch her, never to let her go again. "I missed you so much." He deeply inhaled her scent, god he missed it so much."

"I missed you too." They pulled apart and shared a deep kiss, a loving, passionate kiss.

"They're gone?" He asked while keeping her tight in his grip. She smiled ad nodded.

"It's over, they're never coming back." He kissed her again, finally their dream was coming true, a safe life for their children. Speaking of which… "Where are the kids?" She asked. She chuckled and moved out her way just as Shane and Kodak came running through giggling and snickering with Sarah and Natali not far behind him, playing some game of tag or something. Not only that, surprisingly, Faolan's, no longer disappointed, dad came trotting through as well and joining in with the game. Seeing his grandsons brought him into a new light, opened his eyes, he couldn't be disappointed with his son anymore, not when he gave him his bouncing grandsons which he always wanted some day. Maybe not from a descendant of the Starnik, but he certainly had no issues if they were birthed from the great and powerful Earth Angel. If anything he was now honoured. They returned home, Faolan and his family no longer enemies of the pack, but a member of it.

The rest of the family all slept in the same den that night, wanting to comfort each other on the close shave and to help Aria understand. But eventually, all good things have to come to an end and there's also the small bad thing in-between that must happen. It was morning now, and Aria grinned widely as she slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped out of the den. She was refreshed, as were everyone else around, washed and ready to say their goodbyes. Firstly, Lupa. "Come back to visit soon." She hugged her deeply. "None of us can wait to see you again." She then gestured to the pups.

"Of course." Next in line, Dakota.

"Same thing, come back soon, we can go to more places." He wasn't much of the hugging type, but Aria wasn't having any of it and pulled her tightly against her. Beside him, chance sat and hugged her of her own free will happily.

"Thanks for setting me on fire." Aria giggled.

"You're welcome; I'll do it again anytime." Chance giggled with her as she moved on to Rosie who leapt up into her chest before she could do anything.

"Be safe, and don't be afraid to come around anytime you want. We might need you're help again at some point" She winked.

"Oh you can keep that life; I want to stay out of it. I don't want any part of it." Rosie licked her cheek tenderly before hopping down. This wolf didn't need to say her goodbyes, she was going with her. But first, Myka need to get some things off her chest.

"I'll admit, I never did like you when you first came."

"Myka…" Aria laughed, not wanting to go over this again.

"Just…hear me out." Did she have a choice? "I'm sorry for everything I did and said. I take it all back, you're my sister and I forgot the most important thing about this family, that we love and look out for each of them. I didn't do that and I'm sorry I did. I love you." Aria knelt down and the two hugged it out.

"You're my sister; I have no choice but to forgive you." She giggled with her. And as they pulled away, Myka pushed something towards her across the floor.

"This is for you." It was a pebble, but why?

"Gosh, thanks, I always wanted a rock." She replied sarcastically. Myka only laughed.

"I think you know what it really is." Myka winked. It took a moment, but finally Aria's jaw slowly dropped as she stared at the rock.

"For me?" She gasped.

"Now you can come and visit us anytime you want without paying for flights." She pulled her into a second hug.

"Thank you so much, I'll keep it on me forever." She mumbled through burying her face into her neck fur. After a moment, they finally pulled away and Aria collected her bag and with her sister approached her father.

"When you're ready kiddo."

"You're coming too?" She questioned as she took a hold of her hand.

"I need to talk to your mom, settle some things between us." She nodded and looked back towards the rest of the family as Myka grazed her side against her leg.

"See you soon." She waved and with that, she smacked the rock against her palm and they snapped and flashed away, flying through the bright portal that was Myka's teleportation rock. It faded, and the three of them fell and landed on something soft, giggling away, all three of them. It was a bed, a double bed in the middle of a large, tidy and clean room.

"Huh? Where are we?" Myka wondered as she sat up.

"It's my bedroom." Aria answered. "It worked." She pushed herself off the bed and started looking around the room. She couldn't believe it, the rock actually worked; she had a life long way of going anywhere she wanted!

"This is your room? Man, you bed is so much softer then my old one." She complained as she prodded the mattress that sunk in as she did. The bed she had back in the days when she lived in the apartment with Tony, Karl and Lexi wasn't this soft.

"Aria?" Someone called out. Suddenly, the bedroom door swung open and a woman stood with wide and frantic eyes. All she just heard was a sudden, thud of something upstairs in her daughter's bedroom. So either she was home without her knowing or the house was being robbed, hence why she had a baseball bat in her hand.

"Mum!" She threw her bag to the side and catapulted herself into her mother who opened her arms to her. Scott slid off the end of the bed and Myka sat up straighter at the unknown human, whereas Scott knew full well who she was.

"Aria, I didn't know you were home, your grandpa was going to come and get you from the…"

"I found him mum." The woman looked up and met gazes with Scott. Aria found this moment to let her go.

"Scott?" She asked.

"Hi Jasmine." He smiled and standing still. She looked behind him at the wolf sat on the bed.

"Baby, why don't you take your friend and show it the house?" She suggested.

"Hey, "it" is her sister." She replied a little hotly but with a smile no less.

"Wait, sister?"

"I'll explain later mum. Come on Myka, let me show you around." Myka nodded, she could sense that the humans needed a talk. She hopped down at followed her out to explore the giant mansion like house they had. Scott began to wish she didn't leave, it was silent in that bedroom for the first few moments, neither one of them saying anything.

"Do…Do you think you could put the bat down?" He asked. She dropped it, a sign that said she was shocked by his presence at least.

"Seven years Scott." She said while shaking her head. "Seven years I don't hear a word from you, and now you're back."

"I'm not staying." He answered and daring to take a step forward towards her. "I've got to get back to my family."

"Aria's you're family now." She took her own step towards him. She was a little frustrated to say the least. But she took a breath and calmed herself. "I take it she told you about her gift?" He grinned ear to ear, and while taking another step forward he replied.

"Yeah, she told me. She got that from me."

"Starnik. Yeah, I know who you are. Her eyes gave it away."

"Her powers are strong; she'll be great some day." He said softly. "She's grown up so quickly."

"Too quickly." She sighed and shaking her head. "It's the real reason why I wanted her to find you."

"She'll be fine, her powers give her multiple lives, when one is over, whether it comes natural or not, she'll live again. She could probably live for a thousand life times."

"So…she'll be ok?" She questioned and taking a step again towards him.

"She'll be fine." She chuckled lightly. Finally, they were standing right opposite each other, nearly in each other's faces. "I don't know how much you know about me." He continued after a moment. "But I have other children, Myka is one of them."

"A wolf?" She tilted her head a little.

"It's complicated." He chuckled. "I'm not the man you once knew, I've been living these least few years as a wolf too, and in that time I've gotten married and had my on daughter. Aria is a new addition to that family, and I want to see her." He then presented to her, hidden all this time behind his back, a bright red rose. "We had a daughter together, I want to see her, I want to be a part of her life and the lives after that. But only if you'll let me." She took it from him, twisted it with her fingers tip and smelt it gently.

"Do I have a choice?" She smiled teasingly.

"I maybe the Starnik, but I don't control people's actions." He chuckled.

"Aria wanted to know who you were for a long time; I think she deserves to have a father in her life after everything we've all been through." He gently wrapped his arms around her as she did around his back.

"Thank you, she can come and see us anytime she wants. You are most welcome as well."

"Maybe, thank you for taking care of her." As they began to pull away, Scott leaned back in and kissed her cheek, making her smile again before they fully moved away.

"Now I can't wait to tell mom this." Myka snickered as she and Aria peeked around the corner. She just made the two adults laugh.

"You, be quiet." Scott joked. Myka zipped her muzzle shut.

"Dad this house is huge, can we move in?" She asked as they began to walk back into the room.

"Oh my god, you should totally come for a sleep over at some point." Aria clapped her hands with excitement.

"I'd love too, hopefully before the pups are born. That is if you say I'm pregnant at least." Myka nodded in complete agreement.

"I know what I sensed, I can't wait for it."

"Is it time to go dad?" Myka then asked and turning to him.

"I think so, we're done here." As Myka padded towards her father, Aria ran at him and jumped into him. He laughed once again, happy he had her as well as Myka.

"I'll come by soon dad, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that." He replied and kissing her forehead as they separated.

"Jazz, I'm home!" Some elderly voice called out from downstairs right after a door slammed shut.

"Crap, that's my dad. You better go." Jasmine whispered and pulling Aria back a few steps and keeping her hands on her shoulders.

"Why, he still doesn't like me?" He chuckled.

"Duh! He never liked you before, and he hated you even more after you left me pregnant. Now get out of here." His smile faded, he thought she was joking. What an understatement.

"Bye guys!" Aria waved as Myka began to speak her transportation spell. The footsteps approached the bedroom door, and right as the old man was about to step around and into the room, Scott was relieve to be consumed in green light and taken home before the old man even saw him. He dreaded to think what would happen if he stayed.

So Aria, a normal girl in the eyes of many, but in her blood, a rare and powerful gift lies. The power to manipulate fire, self heal, sense new life and live short but multiple lives, the power of the Phoenix. Also, passed down by her father, the power of Telekinesis, the same power of her sister, and the art of Telepathy. She lived a life outside the Starnik prophecy, until a certain Spirit Guide came to her in her dreams to bring her into their lives. She saved them from evil; she delivered her sister from jealousy, and now she lives her life away from their prophecy. Sure, it's in her blood to be a part of it, but it was in her heart to not be. The Starnik went down in history as some of the greatest beings to ever walk the earth, as did their children and their children's children until the Starnik bloodline vanished, never to be seen again. Aria however, was never mentioned at all, never in one story of the great Starnik was she mentioned. Only a select few knew of her existence, and those that did died with that secret.

For hundreds of years, nobody ever knew of Aria and what she did, even after she lived for fifty life times, nobody ever knew her. The Starnik, yes, but Aria, no. The reason…she was the great Secret of the Starnik.


	16. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

**Hey guys, another said and another shared, but now you must steady and be prepared, for another series is yet to come, so sit back, relax, and see what the Starnik will become...**

**Sorry, i thought it was pretty good at least. My sense of humor is shocking! Anyway, if it wasn't clear enough, another series is on it's way. And i mean it when i say that this will be the last. And as a spoiler, it doesn't actually feature any of my Starnik characters. ;) Look out for it.**

**Ok, now here it comes! I want to thank:**

**(my partner) Bastard from North**

**the dark shadow**

**The-Crazy-Lone-Wolf77**

**Kyuubi99**

**The Lone Sheriff**

**Johnwolf234**

**Deta Jake**

**and The Omega's Alpha. (I do apologize , I've gotten it wrong so many times. :S)**

**You people are awesome, I'm surprised that you are even still reading this despite the fact that it's not an Alpha and Omega Fanfic like i'm sure you were all expecting when you looked at the first series. But thank you nether the less, I know I've said this all the other times but I can't thank you more then enough. On another note, check out the story Bastard of North and I are making. Guardians of Jasper, it's pretty good i reckon. If you ever wondered what would happen if you added Craziness and Supernatural Ob****sessed, then that's is the answer.**

**Once again, thank you and Until next time!**

**The FalconWolf**


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